Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant - Project of the Century

The Da River is 980 km long, originating from China’s Yunnan Province and running through Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Hoa Binh, Phu Tho and Ha Tay provinces of Vietnam. From a height of 332 metres, Da River has major potential as an electricity source. As a result, the Politburo released a resolution on the construction of the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant on May 29, 1972, pointing out that “With the important function of flood control, the construction will partly ensure safety for local people, at the same time generating electricity for the development of Vietnam’s economy. This is the biggest basic construction in the north, and will be given priority”.

 

With the spirit “All sources will serve the future electricity current of our country,” people in the mountainous and minority areas in Hoa Binh and Son La provinces voluntarily left their houses and farming land for the construction of the plant. The Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant has become “the construction of the twentieth century,” a great achievement of knowledge, energy and determination of the Party, the State and Vietnamese people; a symbol for the Vietnam – Soviet Union friendship and cooperation.

 

Hoa Binh Reservoir has a capacity of 9.45 billion cubic metres, including flood control capacity of 5.6 billion cubic metres and 5.65 billion cubic metres for electricity generation. The average water level rise of the reservoir is 117 metres, dead water level is 80 metres. The plant has flood escape capacity of 37,800 cubic metres per second, eight turbines with capacity of 240 MW each, totalling 1,920 MW. Annually, the plant generates 8.16 billion kWh of electricity.

 

Since the first turbine was put into operation, Hoa Binh Hydroelectric Plant has supplied stable, safe and economic power to the national electricity system. Total electricity produced by the plant in 1994 accounted for nearly 50 per cent of total capacity and 65 per cent of the total production of the national power system. On April 14, 1994, the last turbine was put into operation, raising the full capacity of the plant to 1,920 MW as designed, establishing the united national electricity system. Electricity has been transmitted from the north to the centre and the south of Vietnam, in which the main power source is Hoa Binh Hydroelectric plant. As of February 25, 2005, the plant generated 100 billion kWh of electricity. The annual electricity output of the plant accounts for a high percentage in the national power grid.

 

Apart from energy provided for the whole country, the Da River has also big potential for tourism development. In recent years, the Reservoir has attracted many tourists to Hoa Binh province

Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant was considered “the project of the century,” not only because it was built with brainpower, energy, determination and faith of the Party, the State, and Vietnamese people and efficient assistance of cadres and experts from the Soviet Union, but also the practical socio-economic benefits the plant brings. Under the hands of the employees and officials in Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant, the ferocious Da River was turned into a power generator in the national electricity grid, serving the industrialisation and modernisation of the country.