Vietnam awards a US$1.3bn power plant contract to Chinese consortium

State utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) group has awarded a US$1.3bn EPC contract to a consortium of Chinese companies. The Chengda-Dec-Swpedi-Zepc consortium will the 1245MW Duyen Hai 3 coal-fired power plant in Tra Vinh province, 250km south of Ho Chi Minh City, the official Vietnam News Agency said.

Around 85% of the funds will be financed by Chinese banks while EVN will provide for the balance.

The plant with two generators are expected to enter service in 3Q2015, generating 7.5-8TWh of electricity annually. It is forecast the new plant will increase Vietnam’s thermal coal requirement by 3.5Mt, which it envisages to supply from the country’s coal hub at Quang Ninh, in the north of the country.