GE Vernova powers up Vietnam with first 9HA gas power plant in the country

GE Vernova powers up Vietnam with first 9HA gas power plant in the country

GE Vernova Inc has announced the start of commercial operations of Petrovietnam Power Corporation (PV Power)’s Nhon Trach 3&4 1.6-GW power plant in Ong Keo Industrial Park, 70 km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City.

The announcement was made on January 5.

Nhon Trach 3&4 power plant, built by the engineering, procurement, and construction companies Samsung C&T and Lilama, marks the first HA-powered plant in Vietnam, as well as the first to be powered by liquefied natural gas.

According to the revised Power Development Plan VIII, LNG remains central to the flexible generation mix, with a capacity of more than 22 GW projected for 2030, accounting for 9.5-12.3 per cent of the national system.

Nhon Trach 3&4 is expected to play a crucial role in meeting the growing electricity demand in the southern region of Vietnam and contribute to the country's sustainable development goals.

This project marks the expansion of gas-fired power generation and accelerates the transition from coal to gas. GE Vernova’s H-class leading technology fuelled by highly efficient natural gas generates a lower environmental impact, with approximately 60 per cent less carbon emissions compared to thermal plants of same electrical output powered by coal. In addition, this project can expedite the integration of renewable energy sources by improving the reliability and stability of the energy grid.

"Vietnam’s energy transition requires solutions that balance capacity, efficiency, and sustainability, which is why we chose GE Vernova’s 9HA.02 gas turbines for Nhon Trach 3&4,” said a representative from PV Power. “GE Vernova’s advanced 9HA.02 gas turbine is central to our commitment to modern energy standards. It enables the plant to achieve greater than 63 per cent combined cycle efficiency, ranking it among the world’s most efficient facilities. Additionally, the 9HA.02 meets the strictest emission regulations, offers versatile fuel-switching capabilities – operating on LNG now, supporting up to 50 per cent hydrogen co-firing, and paving the way for 100 per cent hydrogen use in the future – ensuring alignment with Vietnam’s net-zero goals for decades.”

For this project, GE Vernova provided two blocks of more than 800 MW each, including a 9HA.02 gas turbine, the company’s most efficient 50 Hz gas turbine, an STF-D650 steam turbine, a W88 generator, and a heat recovery steam generator. In addition, GE Vernova’s integrated Mark* VIe Distributed Control System will help PV Power improve asset visibility, reliability, and availability while reducing operation and maintenance costs.

“Renewable energy is expected to grow significantly in Vietnam while at the same time, lower-carbon and highly efficient gas power generation will play a crucial role in supporting this growth while ensuring grid stability and reliability,” said Ramesh Singaram, president and CEO of GE Vernova's Gas Power business in Asia-Pacific. “This first of its kind project is expected to bring electricity for large industrial areas in the southern region including Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province while opening up a new chapter for gas power generation in Vietnam. We are proud to execute the first HA project in the country, in alignment with its national energy goals for a more sustainable national economic growth.”

GE Vernova’s equipment provides up to 30 per cent of the Vietnam’s electricity needs, with over 1,100 employees across 13 locations from various GE Vernova businesses throughout the country. GE Vernova’s global customers are served by a global network of repair and manufacturing capabilities which include GE Vernova’s Phu My repair facility and Dung Quat HRSG manufacturing plant in Vietnam, where the pressure part modules for this plant were manufactured within country.

VIR