Clean electricity for 19780 homes

With the help from members of CHOOOSE, the Za Hung Hydropower Plant helps balance the supply and demand gap of electricity in Vietnam.

Vietnam has experienced a rapid increase in the need for electricity, with a growth in the consumption of electricity at 15 percent annually. In the shift from being among the world’s poorest nations, to becoming a lower middle-income country, the economic growth of Vietnam is outpacing the supply of electricity. The majority of this is generated from fossil fuels sources such as firing coal, and distributed through the national electricity grid. This shortage has a negative effect on the economy and local livelihoods.

Meeting energy demands

The goal of the Za Hung project is to reduce the reliance on exhaustible fossil fuel-based power sources. It aims to balance the supply and demand gap, reduce electricity losses and lessen the risks of a cascading national grid collapse due to overload. The Za Hung Hydropower Plant is located at the A Vuong River in the Quang Nam province in the South Central region of Vietnam. The plant has two turbines with a total installed capacity of 30 MW and an annual output of over 120,000 MWh. It provides clean electricity to about 19,870 homes and helps the country to meet its growing energy demands. By offsetting the grid with clean electricity, the use of coal-fuel is reduced and as a result, less greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere.

Jobs for locals

The negative impacts on water flow of A Vuong stream are very small since the reservoir regulates water level on the daily basis only, but not seasonally, and there are several small streams between dam and discharge gate. The project supports sustainable development in the region by creating jobs for local villagers, and by funding the construction of road infrastructure and houses. The project will pay taxes to the state budget, and facilitate the industrialization process of the province through fostering tourism, trade, and services within the region. In addition, the project owner has set up a grant fund that donates money to households affected by severe floods in recent years. Due to the Za Hung Hydropower Plant, local communities benefit from improved electricity, drainage, roads, and better air quality.Therefore, the project works towards these Sustainable Development Goals: 7) Affordable and Clean Energy 8) Decent Work and Economic Growth 13) Climate Action.

Key facts:

• 120,246 MWh generated annually providing clean energy for the local grid
• 30 jobs created for maintenance and operation improving the local economy
• 29,322 tons of CO2 mitigated on average annually

Learn more about other projects, such as the Bac Lieu wind farm in Vietnam or the biogas project in Thailand.