Khanh Hoa cancels 4 hydropower projects from electricity development plan

The government of the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa has canceled four hydropower projects from its electricity development plan as they may encroach on a large forest area and pose a high risk to the environment.

A reservoir of the Ea Krong Rou hydropower plant in Khanh Hoa Province. The province has canceled four hydropower projects from its electricity development plan – Photo: TPO

Khanh Hoa Chairman Nguyen Tan Tuan noted that the four projects comprise Song Trang and Khanh Thuong in Khanh Vinh District, Song Cai in Ninh Hoa Town and Hoa Son in Van Ninh District, with a capacity of five, 18, two and four megawatts, respectively.

This was decided after the province had considered the provincial Department of Industry and Trade’s proposal to stop developing new small and medium hydropower projects in the province. The four projects were assessed and it was concluded that they would bring about low economic effectiveness, encroach on a large forest area (an average of 200 hectares per project), see slow progress and were yet to attract investors.

Khanh Hoa is currently home to three operational hydropower projects: the 28-MW Ea Krong Rou plant in Ninh Hoa Town and the 37-MW Song Giang and Song Cho plants in Khanh Vinh District. In addition, the Song Giang 1 hydropower project with a design capacity of 12 megawatts is being developed in Khanh Vinh District.

Vo Nguyen Phuong Mai, deputy head of the Energy Management Division under the Khanh Hoa Department of Industry and Trade, said over the past two years, many enterprises have proposed investing in small hydropower projects in Khanh Son, Khanh Vinh and Van Ninh districts. However, the department has suggested the provincial government reject these projects as they may negatively affect the environment.

The department cited the provincial electricity development plan in the 2016-2025 period approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2017 as stating that the province has no potential to develop hydropower. Small and medium projects would encroach on forests, negatively affect the environment, require a high cost for the resettlement of affected people and find it difficult to be connected to the national grid. SGT