The Quang Trach 1 is a 1.2GW coal-fired power plant under construction in the Quang Bình province of Vietnam.

Vietnam’s state-owned power utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) is developing the project with an estimated investment of £1.26bn ($1.78bn).

PetroVietnam was the previous developer, which broke ground on the project in July 2011 with commissioning scheduled in 2015. The Government of Vietnam, however, assigned the project to EVN in October 2016, due to slow implementation by PetroVietnam.

Scheduled for commissioning by 2025, the two coal-fired units of the Quang Trach 1 power plant are expected to generate up to 8.4 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity a year.

Location and site details

The Quang Trach 1 coal-fired power project is located in the Quang Dong commune of the Quang Trach district, in the Quang Binh province of Vietnam.

The 48.6ha project site lies within the Quang Trach power complex, which will also house the 1.2GW Quang Trach 2 coal-fired facility.

Quang Trach 1 coal-fired power plant make-up

The power plant will comprise two ultra-supercritical coal-fired units of 600MW capacity each.

The plant will operate on bituminous coal with higher heat content delivering lower carbon residual in ash and slag.

It will be equipped with advanced electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and seawater flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems to control emissions.

Other components of the project will include wastewater, exhaust gas, and dust precipitator treatment facilities.

Infrastructure

The marine infrastructure for Quang Trach 1 power project will include a coal importing port along with a 1.27km-long breakwater facility. The construction of the coal importing facility is scheduled to be completed by April 2023.

The coal importing port will comprise two berths capable of accommodating vessels of 100,000 tonnes deadweight (DWT) capacity.

An approach bridge will be constructed using reinforced concrete beams, and 2m-high and 5.5m-wide pedestals.

Power evacuation

The electricity generated by the Quang Trach 1 coal-fired power plant will be evacuated into the grid through a 500kV transmission line.

Financing

Vietnam Electricity is financing 30% of the project cost, while the remaining 70% is being financed through domestic commercial loans provided by Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank).

Vietcombank signed a comprehensive co-operation agreement and credit contract to finance the project in June 2021. It will provide £844.70m ($1.17bn) loan to be disbursed within four years. The loan amount is repayable in 15 years. 

Contractors involved in the Vietnamese coal-fired power project

A consortium of Vietnam’s Construction Corporation No.1 (CC1), Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation, and Korea-based Hyundai Engineering & Construction was awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract worth £930m ($1.31bn) for the Quang Trach 1 coal-fired power plant in June 2021. 

Power Engineering Consulting JSC 1 (PECC1), a consulting company based in Vietnam, was engaged to provide consultancy services related to the management of the EPC contract, in July 2021.

Power Project Management Board  No. 2 (EVNPMB2) is managing the project on behalf of EVN.