Turbine No. 3 of the Lai Chau hydropower plant (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - The 400 MW capacity turbine No.3 of the Lai Chau hydropower plant in the northern mountainous province of Son La, officially joined the national grid on November 9.
Contractors are currently carrying out necessity tests, towards generating commercial power in the turbine.
The third largest of its kind, located in the upper reaches of the Da River, the Lai Chau hydropower plant has total investment of 35.7 trillion VND (1.6 billion USD).
The three-turbine plant has a capacity of 1,200 MW. It will supply over 4,670 million KWh of electricity to the national grid per year when all of its three turbines are operational.
The multi-purpose hydropower project is also designed to prevent floods in the rainy season, and provide water to the Red River Delta in the dry season, contributing to development in Lai Chau province, and the northwest region.
The launching of the turbine lays an important foundation for fulfilling the project in 2016, a year ahead of schedule.
The plant’s turbines No. 1 and 2 became operational in December 2015 and June this year, respectively.-VNA
