The industrial sector welcomed in
the New Year by inaugurating a series of big energy projects.

On January 5, 2011 the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group
(PetroVietnam) and PetroVietnam Technical Services Joint Stock Corporation
(PTSC) started work on 1,200 megawatt Long Phu 1 thermal power plant in southern
Soc Trang province’s Long Phu district. It was one of three thermal power plants
under Long Phu Electricity Centre approved by the prime minister with a designed
capacity of around 4,400MW.

Covering 115 hectares, Long Phu 1 thermal power plant
strives to put its first turbine group into commercial exploitation in 2014 and
finish construction in early 2015.

Also on January 5, Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) commenced
the construction of 1,200MW Lai Chau Hydro-power plant in the northern highland
province of Lai Chau in Muong Te district.

The hydro-power plant reports a total investment of
VND35.700 trillion ($1.785 billion) and will produce 4.67 billion kWh of
electric power per year when operational.

Also on the day, PVN and the VietsovPetro Joint Venture
hailed the 190th million tonne of crude oil extracted from the Bach Ho (White
Tiger) and Rong (Dragon) oil-fields in Vietnam’s continental shelf. With 190
million tonnes of extracted crude oil, VietsovPetro earned $51 billion in sales
revenue.

The launching of Dung Quat oil refinery, with PVN as the
developer, took place on January 6.

The refinery started work in July 1997 and launched the
first oil products in February 2009. The refinery has so far produced around
seven million tonnes and sold out over 6.8 million tonnes of petroleum products
of various kinds.

By the end of 2010, the refinery posted revenue of VN60
trillion ($300 million) and an estimated profits of VND237 billion ($11.85
million). In 2011, it is set to achieve revenue of VND77 trillion and profits of
approximately VND550 billion. It now works on a plan to raise its capacity from
6.5 million to 10 million tonnes of crude oil per year.

A congratulatory ceremony on the launching of the first
turbine at Son La Hydro-power Plant in northern mountainous Son La province’s
Muong La district was slated in the first week of 2011.

Son La Hydro-power plant, with EVN as the developer,
consists of six turbines with a total capacity of 2,400MW. Once operational, the
plat would turn out an average 10.2 billion kWh per year (10 per cent of the
country’s total power production output), generating $500 million in revenue and
saving five million tonnes of coal.

Similarly, a ceremony to welcome the launching of the first
turbine at Song Tranh 2 hydro-power plant was held on January 7. Completion of
the190MW power plant was 12 days ahead of schedule with the first turbine
connected to the national power system on December 20, 2010 and the second
turbine to be merged to the system on January 25, 2011.

Two turbines at 180MW Dong Nai 3 Hydro-power Plant were
expected to get connected to the national power system on January 8, 2011.

Source: VIR