Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Feb. 6 gave the nod for a 205 million USD project to develop renewable energy and upgrade networks supplying power to remote areas around the country.
The “Renewable energy development and electric grid upgrade and expansion in remote communes” programme is being funded by the Asian Development Bank.
According to the energy sector, Vietnam has everything required to develop renewable energies from solar, wind, geothermal and, especially, hydro-power sources.
With nine major river systems, it is considered one of 14 top countries in terms of hydropower potential.
But it has failed to make full use of this potential, largely due to the relatively high costs and technology issues.
The country has 500 small hydropower stations with a combined output of 135 MW.
On the same day, Dung also approved a loan agreement for the “Partnership for the poor in agro-forestry development in northern Bac Kan province” project funded by the International Fund for Agriculture Development.
The Minister of Finance will soon sign the agreement.
Earlier, the PM ratified the 600,000 USD “Increasing social auditing capacity of the socio-economic development plan 2006-10” project sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
PM approves renewable energy, power projects
Dung Quat Oil Refinery begins operations
On February 9th, the Dung Quat Refinery in the Central Province of Quang Ngai officially began became operational.
The crude oil distillation tower in the CDU atmospheric pressure unit, one of the most important units of the Dung Quat refinery, has started refining around 900,000 tons of crude oil, reaching 60 percent of its total processing capacity. A crew of more than 700 foreign experts and Vietnamese engineers are always on duty to ensure optimal operations of the refinery.
After the 24 hours of operation, the refinery was operating safely, without any problems. Mr Venkateban, a supervisor from the Technip Company excitedly said: “I believe that we will produce the first oil products very soon, in a few days”
The foreign experts and the Vietnamese engineers are slowly and gradually increasing the flow of petroleum into the refinery and distiling the two first commercial products, namely diesel and kerosene fuels. As scheduled, the quality of the two products will be tested in coming days before being entering the supply chain. Nguyen Hoai Giang, Vice Manager of the Project said: “The first commercial products are expected to become available by the end of this week.”
The Dung Quat Refinery also plans to produce several other distiled petroleum products such as A90, A92, A95 petrol and aviation fuel by April, 2009. The refinery will bring all 14 units into operation by the end of June, 2009.
All construction and assemble work have been completed, and after 44 months of constructing the Dung Quat Refinery Plant was finished ahead of the deadline of February 25th, 2009.
The first distil petroleum products will enter the supply chain on February 22nd, 2009.
