Vietnam Highland Province Taps “Deep Falls” for Hydro-Power

Text of report in English by Vietnamese news agency VNA website

[Unattributed article from the "Business-Finance" page: "Central Highlands Gears to Hydro-Power Industry"]

Dak Lak (VNA -The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak has managed to tap its slew of deep falls and springs to develop a system of hydro-power projects, making the industry core of its economy.

The provincial master-plan called for annually generating 4 billion kWh of electricity upwards from hydro-power plants.

Along the Serepok river alone, there will be six plants with a combined capacity of over 3 billion kWh. The largest project is now under construction at an estimated investment of over 4.6 trillion VND. Once completed in September 2008, the Buon Kuop project will produce almost 1.4 billion kWh a year.

In addition to two others also under building, the province is preparing to start the construction of a 33 MW hydro-power project by February 25, the fourth on the embankment of the Serepok river.

The province has already zoned off 20 other small and medium- sized hydro-electricity projects with a combined capacity of 100 MW on other rivers running across different districts.

Noteworthy is the Krong Hin No.2 hydro-power project with a capacity of 5 MW. The 102 billion VND project, the first of its kind with private investment in the Central Highlands, is not only producing electricity for the national grid network but also watering 550 ha of coffee and other industrial crops for the collective farm No 715C as well as providing water and improving environment for the remote mountainous Canh Bac community in Ma D’Rac district.

Dak Lak authorities said they expected that its hydro-power system will also serve as water reserves for dry season, help control flooding for river lower-reaches during the stormy season, promote tourism and aquaculture and generate employment for thousands of locals in the interest of the entire Central Highlands in general and the province itself.

Originally published by VNA news agency website, Hanoi, in English 15 Feb 08.

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