The Vietnam Electricity closed a valve and effectively began storing water at the Lai Chau hydropower plant on June 20.

The move is designed to ensure the upcoming operations of the first turbine in this December and the completion of the entire plant in 2016, a year ahead of schedule.

Pham Hong Phuong, Head of the project management board, said the early completion will save up about 5 trillion VND (230.4 million USD).

To prepare for the plant’s operations, significant efforts were made to resettle locals outside the scope of the dam and finish the Nam Nhun-Muong Te-Pac Ma road to facilitate local traffic flows.

The plant, located in the upper part of the Da River, is capable of storing 1.2 billion cubic meters of water and generating 1,200 megawatts of power when all of its three turbins become operational.

The project’s construction began in Nam Nhun district, northern Lai Chau province, in January 2011.-VNA