Eight power turbines, designed to generate 1,378MW of electricity, are running this month, said the Electricity of Vietnam.

The turbines are from Ngoi Phat, Nam Na 2, Song Giang 2, and Dong Nai 2 hydropower plants and Vung Ang 1 and Vinh Tan 2 thermo-power plants.

During this month, the National Power Transmission Corporation will speed up the installation tempo of the 220kV Van Tri – Chem transmission line and several others.

A few power plants will also undergo repair and upgrade.

By late 2013, hydropower plants accounted for 48.78 percent of the nation’s total power capacity and 43.47 percent of the national power generation, revealed the Ministry of Industry and Trade at a conference in Hanoi on August 6.

The nation now has 284 hydropower plants running with a total capacity of 14,698MW. As many as 204 plants are under construction and expected to become operational by 2017.

The ministry will issue a set of national technical standards for hydropower projects in the time to come to ensure safety, said Minister Vu Huy Hoang.

A stricter scrutiny will be made when it comes to survey, design, consultancy, construction, and inspection of hydropower facilities, he stressed.-VNA