VietNamNet Bridge - Tata Power has proposed investing in the Long Phu 3 thermal power project while preparing to build the Long Phu 2 thermal power plant at a cost of $2 billion in the Mekong Delta Province of Soc Trang.

"Tata Power wants to continue to invest in Long Phu 3 project in the form of BOT (Build - Operate - Transfer) and to invest in wind power projects in the province,” said Indronel Sengupta, Chief Representative of Tata Power in Vietnam, in a meeting with leaders of Soc Trang Province recently.

Long Phu 3 Thermal Power Project is part of the Long Phu Power Center plan approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, with a total investment of about $5 billion. The plant has a capacity of 2,000 MW, the largest project in the power center.

The representative of Tata Power also said that the group was implementing steps to build Long Phu 2 thermal power plant. In May 2015 it will open bids to choose technological consultant and in June it will negotiate related contracts with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

As expected, Long Phu 2 plant is worth $2 billion, with a capacity of 1,320 MW and it will be operational in December 2020, more than a year later than originally planned.

The report on the environmental impact assessment of the project has been approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

According to the MoIT, Vietnam needs to add more 36,000 megawatts generated from thermal power plants by 2020 to ensure the national power security. The growing demand for power has encouraged increasing numbers of foreign companies to invest in Vietnam.

Posco Energy last year signed a memorandum of understanding with the northern province of Quang Ninh for studying feasibility of a 1,200MW thermal power  plant in the province. This  project would cost about $2 billion, under a BOT model. If Posco Energy invested into this project, this would be the company’s third power plants in Vietnam, following the one  in the northern province of Ninh Binh, and the other also in Quang Ninh.

While Posco Energy is interested in the project in Quang Ninh, South Korea’s Keangnam Enterprise – in association with Vietnam’s Hanoinco – have proposed an investment plan for building the Van Phong 2 thermal power plant in the central province of Khanh Hoa’s Van Phong Bay. The 1,300MW plant is expected to be operational by 2020.

South Korea’s Lotte Group also expressed interest in conducting a feasibility study of a power project the central province of Nghe An’s Quynh Lap thermal power centre.

During the last 15 years, only five power projects have been granted to foreign investors under the BOT model in Vietnam, including Phu My 3, Phu My 2.2, Mong Duong 2 and Hai Duong.

VNE/VIR