Nhon Trach 3&4 Gas Power Plant Project: Racing up for destination

 A Panorama view of pronto in-built Nhon Trach 3&4 project

Attempting to complete the project on schedule

According to the plan, the Nhon Trach 3 and Nhon Trach 4 plants are slated to fire for the first time by the end of December 2024 and early April 2025 respectively; and hand over to the Owner for commercially operation in June 2025 and September 2025 respectively.

Until November 11^th 2024, the total quantity of the EPC work had been gained 95% in comparison to the plan estimation. Mr. Lai Hai Trieu – LILAMA Deputy Director of Nhon Trach 3&4 PMB said that, a number of items had been put into test-running and operation as follow: the 220kV Electricity Distribution Yard being operated to self-supply electricity for the whole plant; Main Transformer and Auxiliary Transformer in work; Water treatment system, Compress Air system, Disposed water treatment system, Circulating water cooling system in test-run and be ready for officially operation, Fuel Gas System completed for receiving LNG from the Supplier - PetroVietnam Gas J.S Corporation (PV Gas); PEECC, LEC, LCI system, the 3^rd Power building and Central Control Building (CCB)…

These achievements had been gained thanking to the decisive and close direction of LILAMA Corporation leaders, positive support from the Owner, and efficient coordination with the EPC Joint Venture, others contractors and suppliers as well as labourers, especially LILAMA engineers and workers who were diligently devoted themselves working on site all day and night. Mr. Nguyen Hong Si – Director of LILAMA Nhon Trach 3&4 PMB said that, there are 5 LILAMA’s able subsidiaries took part in construction including LILAMA 18, LILAMA 10, LILAMA Southern Branch and LILAMA 5 and LILAMA Electrical and Mechanical Electric Co. (EMETC) executing together for the Project. In the peak period of time, there were about 2,700 persons no matter the weather raining or sunny weather, counting national holiday in order to keep the progress up with the schedule; especially in deploying complicated items requiring high technical qualification, LILAMA engineers even worked overtime in evenings to consider and study meticulously performing options and measures for the best and most efficient results.

Expeditous performing equipment installation work for the Nhon Trach 4 Plant

With the smooth and decisive coordination by Lilama leader team’s direction and management, the project step by step overcame difficulties to reach important milestones. The LILAMA Nhon Trach 3&4 Power Plant project once again succeeds the predecessors in showing off their master and prestige of LILAMA Corporation in deploying the important national projects.

Accessing and master new technology on power plant

Nhon Trach 3&4 Project emerged with many leading criteria of technology in Vietnam like plants using the state-of-the-art technology on Once Through Heat Recovery Steam Generator (OT HRSG) using model 1:1:1:1:1 configuration (gas turbine – generator – shafts of high - medium – low pressure) for the first time; one of the few gas turbine of the largest capacity (over 500kV per each) for highest combine cycle efficiency (over 60%) in the world… These characteristics became a challenge to LILAMA engineers and workers during erecting process, from which their qualification and skill were exposed and confident to acquire and master the technology step by step.

According to the corporation’s policy, LILAMA would limit hiring foreign experts when performing for the construction and machinery work in this kind of projects. Therefore, the Nhon Trach 3&4 had been totally done by LILAMA engineers and workers.

It could be said that LILAMA had accomplished and handed over successfully many large power projects which proved its strength and possibility to compete with domestic and overseas companies in the same field. However, because the Nhon Trach 3&4 is an LNG work applying the newest and most advanced power technology which is firstly induced in Vietnam, the performance was very difficult in which the adjustment of turbine and generator is mainly at the critical path and key work as it should determine the success of the whole project.

LILAMA engineers and workers examining and adjusting for completing installation of the Nhon Trach 3 plant turbine chamber.

To most of typical power projects, technicians who perform equipment adjusting work just deals with a shaft combining gas turbine and generator. However, because the Nhon Trach 3&4 plant is structured with an added gas turbine while high-pressure and low-pressure turbines being separated, that made up a 70 m - long copper shaft block with a deviation of 0.04 mm allowed, the adjustment became more difficult, complicated and much time taking that only experienced and high qualified engineers and workers could realize it. As the result, until now, LILAMA engineers has always been proactive in measures studying, examining and testing in order to find out the best methods of machinery performance for finishing this work, toward completing this most important item.

Regarding new technology accessing, the circumstance required LILAMA’s managers and engineers to take much time in acquiring, researching technical information from the suppliers’ sources. Particularly, due to the urgent progress of the Nhon Trach 3&4, they had to buy time in evenings, under the site light on, to checking equipment for seeking out suitable methods of execution.

In addition, when carrying out the main equipment packages, foreign experts were requested to involve and attend from the beginning of the project in service for supervision work, not performing directly. Their missions were to check, take over and accepted each step of installation before moving to another, while LILAMA engineers and workers must find out, review options and building measures for erecting and adjusting work, gradually coming to master the installation technology.

 Checking the OT Heat Recovery Steam Generator system of the Nhon Trach 3 plant

The completion of Nhon Trach 3&4 plant project with safety, quality and on time shall be a prerequisite for LILAMA to expand the partnership on LNG power projects with many large companies in the future.

In Vietnam, all LNG power works are emerging and drawing great attraction for the possibility of the power transition to green clean energy while reducing carbon to zero emission. Many of them had been licensed to invest which belonged to the national plan of energy development (The National Power Plant VIII), targeting to transferring from fossil fuel to renewable energy, playing a very significant role of contribution in meeting electricity need increased more and more as well as ensuring energy security of the country.

At present, gas power projects using LNG are becoming a very importance in national clean energy development in Vietnam which is expected to make a great contribution into the national energy security and realizing the commitment stated in the COP 26 agreement on net carbon emission reduction in the future.

Duy Tình