The fourth unit of Son La Project in Vietnam has been put into commercial operation

The Technical Report of one of the largest hydropower projects in South Asia with RCC gravity dam 138m high with installed capacity of 2400 MW was designed by the specialists of “Institute Hydroproject” in a short period of time. Design of the project met the requirements of the standards of safety of Russian Federation and leading foreign countries.
The project has successfully passed the examination of the Japanese company NIPPON KOEI  CO. The high appraisal was given to the technical solutions aimed at improving the organization of the HP construction.

As the General Director of JSC “Institute Hydroproject” Pavel Shestopalov said during designing of the project the specialists of the Institute proposed several unconventional layout alternatives, due to which the total construction period has reduced to 2 years, and it required only 6 years to put the first unit of the largest project of South Asia into commercial operation. During construction the unique river diversion method is applied with passing 38000м3/s. This exceeds spillway capacities of Russian hydropower projects. For example, maximum discharge of Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydropower Project is 15900м3/s.

The HP on the Da river is one of the largest hydro projects in the South-Eastern Asia. Its installed capacity is 2400 MW while the capacity of every unit is 400 MW. So, the commissioning of the fourth unit will allow to generate the 2/3 of the planned electic power volume. Da River and consists of the 137 m high RCC dam, spillway dam designed to pass maximum flow of 27000м3/s, and power house at the toe of the dam housing three units with total installed capacity of 1200 MW. At present time elaboration of the Technical Report is at the last stage. According to the Schedule commissioning of the first unit is planned at the beginning of 2016.

Commissioning of Son La Dam Project will provide flood protection of the Central Vietnam during peak floods, which will make this region attractive for further development. According to Alexander Volynchikov, flood accumulation in Son La reservoir and runoff regulation will permit more intensive agricultural development of the Central Vietnam, without losing the crops during the seasons of heavy rains and typhoons.