Dak Lak (VNA) – A series of small-capacity hydropower plants in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak have been operating moderately, with some having to shut down because so many lakes, rivers and streams in the locality are dry.
Hydropower plants in the Serepok river basin, which have small reservoirs, or no reservoirs at all, such as Dray H’Linh, Dray H’Linh 1, Dray H’linh 3, Hoa Phu, and Serepok 4A, are operating for only 3-11 hours a day, much lower than their designed capacity.
Meanwhile, large-capacity plants in the river basin are working at only 50 percent of design capacity.
Da Lak is home to 24 hydroelectric plants, with a total capacity of 957 MW, including 12 in the Serepok river basin, with a total power output of 841 MW.
The hydropower plants in the locality have together produced only 120 million kWh of power so far this year, less than 40 percent of target.
The Central Highlands region, comprising Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Dak Nong, Kon Tum and Gia Lai provinces, is facing a serious threat of drought as the water flow in major rivers has reduced by 20-70 percent compared to normal years. The current water volume in many reservoirs has dropped to 30-60 percent of design capacity.-VNA
