Not only financially benefiting the state budget about VND 5,000 billion thanks to the shortened construction duration, timely generating electricity to the national power system, Lai Chau Hydropower Project has affirmed the qualification, competence, skills, spirit and intelligence of Vietnamese workforce. Because during the past six years, over 10 thousands of Vietnamese managers, engineers, experts, workers and labors had worked at the project construction site, and all the achievements gained by the project has been recognized by “High quality project 2016” certificate issued by Ministry of Construction.
The Feasibility Study of Lai Chau Hydropower Project was approved by the Prime Minister in June 2010, its Technical Design was approved by Ministry of Industry and Trade at the end of 2011 with the total investment cost of VND 35,700 billion. This is a special-class construction project and the third biggest hydropower project being built on the mainstream of Da river, together with Son La and Hoa Binh hydropower plants.
Lai Chau Hydropower Project is big scale and technically complicated, comprising 3 power units with the total installed capacity of 1,200 MW, the average electricity output is estimated at around 4.7 billion kWh/year. According to the initial schedule, Lai Chau Hydropower Project is planned to be completed by the end of 2017. However, with the experiences gained from construction and completion ahead of schedule of Son La hydropower project, together with close coordination of the local authorities and People’s Committees of Lai Chau and Son La provinces in people resettlements, the project was completed in December 2016 – one year ahead of the initial schedule.
Lai Chau Hydropower Project acknowledges dramatic progresses of managers, engineers, workers of the power sector, the machinery sector of Vietnam. This national multi-purpose hydropower project has been implemented proactively and initiatively by Vietnamese engineers and workers from planning, designing, construction, installation, equipment synchronization, supervision, management and operation.
At critical path milestones in the construction schedule, there were approximately 8000 workers at site, even many contractors had to continuously work in three shifts. Work initiatives and creativity had been encouraged and utilized abundantly, in which there must be mentioned the initiative bringing benefit of more than VND 3 billion made by the Director of Song Da 9 JSC Nguyen Hoang Cuong with the study “Misting system for cooling, humidifying and maintaining RCC”; or Director of Lai Chau Project Management Board - Vu Hong Truong introduced 5 initiatives to shorten concrete construction plan handover duration of power unit 3 for 15 days ahead of the schedule, benefiting more than VND 1 billion; and Chief Commander Nguyen Van Vu - Song Da 5 JSC had an inventive study “Pane fabrication for porous concrete carving and handling”, benefiting the organization VND 8 billion; Deputy Director Song Da 506 Enterprise Ngo Van Manh had an inventive study “Improving large size formwork panels” benefiting VND 6 billion, etc. Specially, Machinery Installation Company Lilama 10 proposed tens of practical solutions, not only bringing economic benefit but also significantly contributing to accelerating the overall project implementation schedule. As for this moment, it can be said that the machinery installation company is the last contractor left at the construction site in order to finish the last stages of the Project.
Inauguration ceremony of Lai Chau Hydro Power Plant – Photo source: EVN
Mr. Hoang Trong Nam – Director of Son La Hydropower Company – the organization taking over and operating Lai Chau Hydropower Plant confirmed that: "The operation of power units of Lai Chau Hydropower Plant over two recent flood seasons, via indicators of dam safety and stability monitoring and oversight system, confirms that the plant is under safe and stable operation, etc. and this is one of the criteria in our opinions proving that the plant can not only satisfactorily meet capacity mobilization for the national power system but also be a flood control and management work head, effectively and efficiently utilize national resources of Son La and Hoa Binh reservoirs”.
Together with Hoa Binh and Son La hydropower plants, Lai Chau Hydropower Plant is an evidence of Vietnamese magical strength in Da river conquering course. Science, technology, creativity and passion create lights from rivers. The Spring visits Nam Nhun and North West mountains earlier – together with one year early operation of Lai Chau Hydropower Plant – the project of Vietnamese quality and spirit.