Operating Unit No. 5, preparing for the inauguration of Son La Hydropower Plant.

On the morning of April 25th, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai and the State Steering Committee for the Son La - Lai Chau Hydropower Project witnessed the commissioning of Unit 5 at the Son La hydropower plant construction site and held a meeting to discuss the implementation of the two key national hydropower projects, Son La and Lai Chau.

At exactly 8:03 AM, Unit 5 successfully completed its no-load operation and is expected to generate electricity and connect to the grid by the end of this month. The contractor is also assembling and installing Unit 6, adhering to the target of generating electricity in August 2012, completing the final steps for the official inauguration of the Son La Hydropower Plant.

According to the report of the Standing Committee of the Steering Committee, as of now, the Son La Hydropower Plant project has basically completed the construction phase, supplied technological equipment, and completed the installation of 5 out of 6 generating units, supplying electricity to the national grid with an output of over 6.3 billion kWh.

Currently, contractors are focusing on completing the factory's interior, operational access roads, and the overall architectural design. Disbursement value for the first four months of 2012 reached 788 billion VND.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai inspects turbine unit number 5 - Photo: VGP

The resettlement work is progressing towards detailed planning of residential areas and construction of component projects, accelerating the allocation of production land (reaching 78%), supporting production and livelihoods, and guiding the development of production plans for households in resettlement areas and sites. This includes building several models of commercial agricultural production and aquaculture, organizing training courses on crop cultivation, livestock farming, and aquaculture for households to organize their own production in resettlement areas and sites, and disbursing funds according to the assigned plan.

The Lai Chau Hydropower Project has completed the first phase of the Da River damming work and is now focusing on flood control for 2012, excavating the left embankment foundation pit, constructing the auxiliary system for conventional concrete (CVC) and roller-compacted concrete (RCC), and building the infrastructure serving the project... The disbursed value in the first four months of the year reached 653 billion VND.

The investor, EVN, is also implementing related infrastructure projects, selecting contractors, and clearing land for the flood-avoidance road on Provincial Road 127. Lai Chau province has completed the land clearance for the Lai Chau Hydropower Reservoir below the 225.6m elevation to meet flood control requirements for 2012, and approved detailed planning for 3 resettlement areas (Can Ho, Nam Khao, and Muong Te) capable of accommodating 879 households out of a total of 8 resettlement areas according to the overall plan. The cumulative disbursement value reached 64.7 billion VND.

The Steering Committee's overall assessment indicates that the projects continue to progress according to schedule in terms of construction and power generation. The progress of the Son La Hydropower Plant connection system and the Son La - Hiep Hoa 500kV transmission line meets transmission requirements when Unit 5 is put into operation. Current obstacles mainly lie in the allocation of capital, disbursement of completed work with complete payment documentation, delays in completing detailed planning documents for some resettlement areas and sites as required, delays in construction progress, acceptance and handover for use, final settlement of component projects, and delays in land acquisition, allocation of production land, and the development of plans for occupational conversion for non-agricultural resettled households of the Son La Hydropower Project.

Prepare well for the completion phase of the Son La Hydropower Project.

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai assessed that, despite numerous difficulties, the progress made in the first four months of the year on the Son La and Lai Chau Hydropower Projects was very encouraging. The Son La Hydropower Plant has supplied over 6.3 billion kWh, playing a crucial role in meeting the electricity needs of the economy. The economic landscape, infrastructure, and lives of people in the areas related to the Project have gradually changed significantly, especially regarding land allocation. The Lai Chau Hydropower Plant has also achieved positive progress milestones despite a period of significant funding difficulties; the basic targets have been met.

In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister also pointed out the remaining issues in the Project, particularly regarding the quality of some construction items, the completion of resettlement, the development of production plans, the chuyển đổi ngành nghề (transition to other occupations), and the care for the lives of resettled people.

Agreeing with the objectives set out at the meeting for the coming period, the Deputy Prime Minister outlined the important milestones for the Son La Project in its final phase: commissioning of Unit 5 in the coming days and Unit 6 in August 2012, completion of the overall architectural design of the project in 2012, acceptance of the entire project by the end of 2012, and early completion of the project's final settlement.

Initially, focus on flood prevention and control in 2012 for both Son La and Lai Chau projects. Simultaneously, member agencies of the State Steering Committee will concentrate on implementing specific tasks. With the goal of prioritizing the well-being of people in the project areas, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with the provinces, will conduct a comprehensive review and accelerate the construction progress of component projects in resettlement areas and sites. This includes land acquisition, allocation of production land, and issuance of land use rights certificates to resettled households. They will also implement production plans suitable to the actual conditions in resettlement areas and sites, develop plans for transitioning resettled people to non-agricultural occupations, and organize assessments of the results of stabilizing the lives and production of resettled households.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade organized the appraisal and approval of the project's norms and unit prices in the second quarter of 2012 and the total project budget for the Lai Chau Hydropower Plant in the third quarter of 2012, coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to guide localities in building and implementing models of industrial and handicraft production combined with agriculture and forestry, linked with resettlement.
The Ministry of Transport is inspecting and registering the progress of the final settlement of flood-avoidance transport projects for the Son La Hydropower Project. The Ministry of Construction is directing the State Acceptance Council for Construction Projects to conduct flood control acceptance testing in 2012, and to consider and address the safety of seepage in the left abutment and cracks in blocks 8 and 19 with fundamental and sustainable solutions.

The Ministry of Finance, in coordination with other ministries and agencies, will study the proposals from provinces regarding compensation, support, and resettlement mechanisms and policies, and promptly guide provinces in resolving difficulties and obstacles within its authority. It will ensure maximum priority and balanced funding for items that ensure the livelihoods of resettled people.

In addition, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has completed the Inter-Reservoir Operation Procedure and will submit it to the Government by the end of this year. The State Bank of Vietnam has directed commercial banks to promptly pay for the completed work of the Project according to the signed loan agreement with the agreed interest rate with Vietnam Electricity Group.

The provinces of Son La, Dien Bien, and Lai Chau are focusing their plans to ensure the completion of resettlement work for the Son La Hydropower Project next year. Hanoi is directing the land clearance work for the connecting power lines.
The Vietnam Electricity Corporation (EVN) is urgently approving the revised technical design for the left abutment of the Lai Chau hydropower plant. Contractors are required to deploy sufficient skilled personnel, workers, materials, and equipment to ensure construction meets the objectives and tasks of the Son La and Lai Chau hydropower projects, guaranteeing quality, construction safety, and strict adherence to environmental protection measures as prescribed.

In particular, the settlement process is still slow, with approximately 1,000 sub-projects representing a large volume of work that needs to be addressed effectively to achieve the set objectives.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai also gave his opinion on the proposed adjustment of the total investment for the Son La hydropower project, as suggested by the ministries and agencies.

According to the Government