Duyen Hai 1 Thermal Power Plant - Illustrative image (Source: VNA) According to the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN),the total capacity of these plants is estimated at 13,483 MW at present,accounting for 34.37 percent of electricity production.
In 2025-2030, southern provinces will need anadditional 30,000 MW of electricity to fuel economic growth. Therefore, by2020, there are set to be 32 coal thermal power plants with a combined capacityof about 26,000 MW, making up 49.3 percent of total electricity output.
By 2025 and 2030, this figure will be 47,600 MWand 55,300 MW, accounting for 55 percent and 53.2 percent of the electricityproduction, respectively.
These plants are expected to discharge 29 million tonnes of ash and cinder peryear.
Five coal thermal power plants under the VinhTan thermal power project in the southeastern coastal province of BinhThuan,once coming into full operation by 2020, will absorb more than 20 million cubicmeters of sea water to cool their turbines and then discharge it back to the sea.
In the process of burning coal to produceelectricity, millions of tonnes of ash will be discharged each year, causingserious environmental pollution and affecting human health.
According to the national grid development plan for2011-2020, the upcoming operational coal thermal power plants will make maximumuse of domestic coal in addition to imported coal.
To generate 156 billion kWh of electricity eachyear by 2020, coal thermal power plants need more than 67 million tonnes ofcoal to reach total capacity of about 36,000 MW. The figure will increase to171 million tonnes by 2030 when the total coal thermal power capacity stands at75,000 MW.
This means the amount of coal residues willreach 14 million tonnes each year by 2020 and nearly 35 million tonnes by 2030,together with tens of millions of tonnes of ash.
Given these facts, the Ministry of Industry andTrade has directed groups and companies to review environmental protection workat businesses, including coal thermal power plants, requiring them to obeycommitments on environmental inspection.
Thermal power plants must be responsible fortheir waste discharge and install a monitoring system for wastewater.
The ministry has worked with the Ministry ofConstruction to promulgate technical regulations for ash and cinder – which canbe used as construction materials.
The Ministry of Natural Resources andEnvironment will issuea circular stipulating procedures to ensure environmentalprotection at solid waste treatment facilities.
Coal thermal power plants which are underconstruction will be put into operation only once they get approval from theenvironmental impact assessment agencies.
After six months of trial operation, contractorsand investors must confirm the completion of environmental protection works andsubmit them to the environmental impact assessment agencies.-VNA
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