VietNamNet Bridge - Under the electricity development strategy approved by the government in March, the Mekong River Delta would have 14 coal thermal power plants by 2030 with total capacity of 18,270 MW. This would pose a significant challenge for the nation’s main aquaculture area and rice producer.

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Truong Van Sung complained that the power plant has deprived him of his livelihood.

The Duyen Hai Power Center in the coastal area of Tra Vinh province manages four power plants. The Duyen Hai 1 Plant has been put into commercial operation, while the Duyen Hai 3 and expanded Duyen Hai 3 are under trial run. 

The other two power centers are located on the Hau riverbank. Long Phu Center in Soc Trang province has three plants, with the Long Phu 1 Plant under the construction. The power center in Hau Giang province has two plants, including Song Hau 1 under construction.

Living in dust, noise

“It produces such a terrible noise that I feel as if my house will collapse,” said Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 58, of Dan Thanh commune in Tra Vinh province, pointing to the power plant in front of her.

"We also suffer from smoke from the plant and dust from the construction site. Rainwater cannot be used because it is no longer safe,” Anh said.

Anh and her family members once lived on shrimp and crab farming on seven hectares and one hectare of salt field. Since the thermal power plant has been set up, the area has shrunk to 6,000 square meters. 

Under the electricity development strategy approved by the government in March, the Mekong River Delta would have 14 coal thermal power plants by 2030 with total capacity of 18,270 MW. 
Truong Van Sung, 40, who lives one kilometer from the thermal power plant, complained that the power plant has deprived him of his livelihood.

With 2.8 hectares of land, Sung earns nearly VND1 billion from farming shrimp and making salt. But since the day the plant openef, he has had to bargain salt away because of the dust, while shrimp die because of pollution.

Sung’s land is located near the concrete mixing station which serves the plant construction. Therefore, the land has been covered by dust. In 2014, cement gushed from the station to Sung’s shrimp pond in an accident. After a lot of effort, Sung could claim VND12 million for damages.
More poverty

The construction of Long Phu 1 Plant kicked off in January 2011 and the plant initially became operational in 2014. However, in the latest news, it will be put into operation by 2019.

According to Long Duc commune’s chair Tran Van Thien, 207 hectares of land, the most fertile soil in Soc Trang province, was cleared to make room for the plant.

“As they have to leave the land, the people have no livelihood and live in difficulty,” Thien said.