Thanh Hoa Power Plant

Thanh Hoa Power Plant consisted of four generating units: Ham Rong Locomobile, Co Dinh, Ban Thach, and 4-4 Power Plant Workshops, with a total installed capacity of 6,060kW. The plant was constructed between 1956 and 1964.

In early 1956, the Ham Rong Locomobile Power Plant was commenced, with an installed capacity of 600 kW. On January 18, 1958, the plant officially began operation.

The Co Dinh Thermal Power Plant was the second facility built in Thanh Hoa, supplying electricity for the mining operations at the Co Dinh chromite ore deposit. The plant was commenced on November 22, 1958, with a designed capacity of 2×1500kW.

On April 6, 1961, the Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity decided to establish Thanh Hoa Power Plant on the basis of merging Locomobile Power Plant and Co Dinh Power Plant. These two plants became two electricity production workshops under Thanh Hoa Power Plant.

In 1962, Thanh Hoa Power Plant added a third generating unit - Ban Thach Power Workshop in Tho Xuan, with a capacity of 960kW. It was built with aid from the Soviet Government and supplied electricity to pumping stations for irrigation, serving agricultural production.

Due to the increasing electricity demand, Thanh Hoa commenced the construction of its fourth generating facility in early 1960, with a designed capacity of 3,000kW. The power generation and transmission machinery and equipment were supplied by Hungary. On April 4, 1964, the plant was inaugurated, put into operation, and named “Power Plant 4-4.”

Thanh Hoa Power Plant in 1960. Photo credit: Tran Nguyen Hoi

Since the end of 1964, when the U.S. imperialists launched their destructive war in the North, Thanh Hoa Power Plant established a self-defense unit, ready for combat to protect the plant and safeguard production. From its inception, the plant’s self-defense team served as the core force in combat preparedness against the U.S. air raids. The team dug 750 shelters, 2,537 meters of trenches (including 950 meters through the mountain), made combat tools, and relocated spare equipment and machinery to safe locations.

Between 1965 and 1968, nine officers and workers of Thanh Hoa Power Plant sacrificed their lives, and 34 others were wounded by U.S. bombings. The U.S enemy dropped 7,780 bombs of various types, 66 cluster bomb canisters, 36 napalm bombs, fired 306 missiles, 1,456 rockets, and 182 artillery shells on the plant.

Despite relentless attacks, the officers and workers of Thanh Hoa Power Plant managed to relocate equipment and evacuate generating facilities. At the same time, to ensure wartime electricity supply, the plant established five small power clusters, installed with diesel generators, with a total capacity of 2,850kW.

With the tireless efforts of its officers and workers, the electricity output of Thanh Hoa Power Plant during the ten years of the U.S. air destructive war not only remained stable but continued to increase. In 1965, the plant generated 8,292,041kWh. By 1970, the output reached 12,072,475kWh. In 1975, the figure rose to 25,193,807kWh.

In December 1966, Thanh Hoa Power Plant was honored by the National Assembly and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam with the title “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces.” Two officers and workers of the plant were awarded the title of Hero. The plant’s self-defense battalion was recognized as a “Determined-to-Win Unit” and was awarded the Second- and Third-Class Military Exploit Orders.

Thuong Ly Power Plant (Hai Phong)

The Thuong Ly Power Plant originated as the power generation workshop of Hai Phong Cement Factory. In 1955, immediately after taking over Hai Phong city, the fledgling revolutionary government of the city began the process of economic restoration and rehabilitation. The power generation workshop was quickly repaired to serve cement production, contributing to the reconstruction of the city. In 1959, the Ministry of Industry added two Polish boilers.

On April 1, 1961, the Ministry of Industry decided to transfer the Thuong Ly Power Generation Workshop to the management of Hai Phong Power Plant, thereby improving the efficiency of electricity supply for cement production. Due to aging equipment, operational failures frequently occurred, leading the plant to establish a Repair Workshop. By 1969, the plant had nearly 500 officers and workers. The plant’s generating capacity was small, and the machinery was outdated; most production processes still relied heavily on manual labor, consuming enormous effort and time. Workers had to haul coal manually from the Thuong Ly River every day by cart to a storage yard several hundred meters away. After firing the boilers, slag again had to be carted to disposal sites.

The plant also operated a coal processing workshop to supply the kilns, leaving the surrounding environment perpetually dusty and grimy. Officers and workers worked in three continuous shifts, without holidays or New Year breaks. Every day, they had to take boats across the river or even cling to suspension cables, with lunchboxes clenched between their teeth, to swim across, as both Thuong Ly Bridge and Quay Bridge had been bombed and destroyed by U.S. aircraft.

On April 20, 1967, U.S. forces bombed and completely destroyed Cua Cam Power Plant before attacking Thuong Ly Power Plant. Workers were ordered into shelters, but three operators remained on duty. Under relentless bombardment, they held their posts with resilience to keep the electric current flowing.

In 1969, U.S. bombs struck the plant again; one fell directly on the coal conveyor belt but failed to detonate (if it had exploded, the entire plant would have been obliterated). Officers and workers resolved to form a bomb disposal team. A three-man team, consisting of a mechanic, an electrician, and a machinist, was assigned the mission. Before the dangerous task, the plant even held a “living funeral” for the men so comrades could bid farewell in solidarity. Mr. Hoang Ngoc Nhac, one of the three volunteers, 28 years old at that time, later recalled that he stepped forward without fear of death, feeling only pride and honor. The 950-kg bomb was defused within one hour using wooden mallets, and once the safety fuse was cut, it was carted away and handed to the District Military Command in Hong Bang.

Mr. Nguyen Vinh Hien, former shift leader of Thuong Ly Power Plant, recalled witnessing two of the most ferocious bombings by U.S. forces: on April 20, 1967, and April 16, 1972. The 1967 raid destroyed four BW boilers and killed or wounded many officers and workers. Yet the 1972 attack was even more brutal. U.S. B-52s dropped bombs in waves every 30 minutes, striking the plant eight times in one night. The damage was devastating, but workers remained steadfast, sometimes even playing “rock-paper-scissors” before their shifts to jokingly decide who might be “crossed off the ration book” that day.

Despite catastrophic destruction from U.S. air raids, Thuong Ly Power Plant continued to “share the load” with other plants, providing reinforcements to almost all power plants across the North, such as Uong Bi, Thai Nguyen, Lang Son, and Viet Tri. In 1972, the plant sent a team of 15 officers and workers to reinforce and protect the Thac Ba Hydropower Plant.

In 1984, Thuong Ly Power Plant ceased operations due to obsolete equipment, low generating efficiency, and limited capacity (10,000kW). Nevertheless, the image of a heroic Thuong Ly Power Plant, bravely fighting U.S. aircraft, steadfast in production, and maintaining the current for the “Red Flamboyant City” throughout the long years of war, remains deeply etched in the hearts of the people of Hai Phong and the entire nation.

Uong Bi Power Plant (Quang Ninh)

Uong Bi Thermal Power Plant was a facility employing pure condensing steam technology, commenced by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on May 19, 1961. Its establishment marked a significant milestone in the history of Vietnam’s nascent industrial sector at a time when the North had just been liberated. With this project, by the early 1960s, Vietnam possessed one of the largest thermal power plants in Southeast Asia.

On November 20, 1963, the first electricity generated by the plant was successfully connected to the Northern power grid.

On January 18, 1964, after nearly three years of intensive construction and equipment installation, with the dedicated assistance of Soviet experts and the efforts of more than 3,000 Vietnamese engineers and workers, the plant completed Phase I, consisting of two boilers and two generating units with a total capacity of 24MW. In 1965, Phase II was completed, adding another 24MW of capacity.

Workers of Thuong Ly Power Plant celebrated the achievement of completing the overhaul of Turbine No. 3 ten days ahead of schedule (Hai Phong, 1965). Photo credit: Tran Nguyen Hoi

On December 15, 1965, Uong Bi Thermal Power Plant endured its first bombing raid by U.S. aircraft. The plant entered a new phase: simultaneously producing electricity while fighting to safeguard the power supply. During the years of resistance against the United States, 1,180 bombs of various types were dropped on the plant’s premises, forcing it to undergo 10 rounds of restoration. The officers and workers of the plant demonstrated heroic resolve in production, steadfastly maintaining the boilers and machines, uniting to resist the destructive air raids, and upholding the spirit of both labor and combat. Eight employees, members of the plant’s self-defense militia, sacrificed their lives while carrying out their duties.

In 1966, the “underground chimney” project (concealing the plant’s chimney beneath the riverbed to camouflage it from enemy aircraft) was completed. This unique innovation became part of history, symbolizing the resilience, determination, and indomitable will of the young Uong Bi power workers. The project was commended by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Labor Youth Union and reproduced as a model for exhibition in Moscow, showcasing the creativity of Vietnamese youth in the resistance against the United States, and earning admiration and praise from the international community.

From 1964 to 1971, the plant contributed a total of 835,540,780kWh to the power supply of the Socialist North, consistently surpassing annual production targets. From 1973 to 1975, the plant focused on restoration, expansion, and enhancing production efficiency in line with Resolution 22 of the Party Central Committee.

Following the Great Spring Victory of 1975, Uong Bi Power Plant completed its third expansion phase in 1976, adding 50MW, and the fourth phase from 1977 to 1980, adding 55MW. After four expansion phases, the plant reached a total installed capacity of 153MW.

During the ten years from 1976 to 1986, the plant overcame numerous difficulties associated with the centrally planned and subsidized economy era, completing and commissioning many new facilities such as: the Uong River spillway, Boiler No. 1, Turbine-Generator Unit No. 1, Conveyors 1 and 2, Conveyors 3 and 4, the Mechanical Workshop, the Covered Coal Storage, and the railway system. In 1981, the plant was awarded the Third-Class Labor Order by the State.

By the late 1980s, with the commissioning of several large power plants such as Pha Lai Thermal Power Plant and Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant, Northern Vietnam began experiencing an electricity surplus. In response, the Ministry of Energy directed Uong Bi Thermal Power Plant to shut down its boilers. This was the most difficult period in the plant’s history. The Party Committee and plant leadership wisely decided to focus on equipment preservation through anti-corrosion measures, maintaining readiness as a reserve source of generation once the 500kV transmission line was energized. With the overall growth of the power sector, from 1994, the plant resumed generation, producing 650 million kWh annually.

Building on this momentum, Uong Bi Thermal Power Plant implemented the Uong Bi Expansion 1 Project with a capacity of 300MW and an annual output of 1.8 billion kWh. Construction began in 2002, and the unit was synchronized with the national grid on December 18, 2006.

In March 2005, Uong Bi Thermal Power Plant was renamed Uong Bi Thermal Power Company under Decision No. 15/2005/QD-BCN.

In 2008, the company commenced the Uong Bi Expansion 2 Project, adding 330MW and supplying an additional 2 billion kWh annually to the national grid.

According to Decision No. 405/QD-EVN dated June 30, 2010, by Vietnam Electricity (EVN), the company was converted to a One-Member Limited Liability Company (LLC), under the name: Uong Bi Thermal Power One-Member Limited Liability Company.

Translator: Thu Hường