VietNamNet Bridge – In a meeting with scientists from the Institute of Science and Technology of Vietnam, the management board of Song Tranh 2 hydro-power plant admitted that leakage at the Song Tranh 2 dam is up to 75l per second, five times over the permitted level.

Seismic observation to be conducted near Song Tranh 2 hydro-power plant

A mission of the Institute of Science and Technology of Vietnam and the Vietnam Geophysics Institute, led by Dr. Le Huy Minh, deputy director of the Geophysics Institute, surveyed the dam on April 9-10, and met with the dam management board.

At the meeting, the management board’s chief, Mr. Tran Van Hai, admitted that the accurate volume of water that leaked through the dam was 75 liters per second, not 30 liters per second as the board had announced previously.

However, Hai affirmed that the dam was still safe. The water level was 155m high, 15m over the dead level.

The Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) Group has asked the board to not lower the water level further, to ensure power output for this year’s dry season. The dam investor is designing three solutions to fix the leak.

Earlier, Dr. Bui Trung Dung, vice chief of the State Council for Examining Construction Works, said that the permitted volume of water that is leaked through dams like Song Tranh 2 is less than 15 liter per second.

Scientists asked the Song Tranh 2 plant management board to provide them with all data related to the plant in order to analyze and make conclusion about the safety of the dam.

Prof. Cao Dinh Trieu, from the Vietnam Geophysics Institute, says that it is dangerous because while the investor is discharging water in order to reduce the water level in the reservoir, the volume of water leaked through the dam is up to 75 liters per second.

Nam Nguyen