Work was started on June 25 for the Song Bung 4 hydropower plant in Nam Giang district of the central province of Quang Nam.

The new project, the first hydropower project to receive funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under its cooperation programme with the government, has two generators with a total designed capacity of 156 MW, capable of producing 586.25 million kWh annually.

The first generator of the project is scheduled to start operation from November 2013 and the second generator from March 2014.

Of the total investment capital of more than 4.93 trillion VND (roughly 261.2 million USD), the ADB provided a loan worth 196 million USD.

The main contractor for the project is China ’s Sinohydro Corporation Limited and the supervising consultants are Mott Macdonald from the UK and the Electricity Construction Advisory Joint Stock Company 4. The project is designed by the Electricity Construction Advisory Joint Stock Company 1.

EVN has committed to relocate and ensure a better life for more than 1,000 people of 220 displaced households.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai said the Song Bung 4 project has an important role in securing energy security, supplying water for agricultural production in the central region during the drought season and contributing to flood prevention.

This is one of the eight hydropower plants that have been operating and under construction along the Vu Gia – Thu Bon river system. The operating plants currently produce around 4.8 billion kWh per year./.