Nhon Trach 2 combined cycle power plant goes online in Vietnam

The Nhon Trach 2 combined cycle power plant started commercial operation in Vietnam on October 16, 2011, after a construction period of 28.5 months. Siemens supplied the power block comprising main components such as gas turbines, heat-recovery steam generators, steam turbine, generator, and instrumentation and controls.

The general contractor Lilama erected the power plant for the end customer Petro Vietnam Nhon Trach 2 Joint Stock Company. With an installed capacity of approximately 760 megawatts (MW) and an efficiency of over 57 percent Nhon Trach 2 will make an eco-friendly contribution toward meeting the country's increasing power demand.

The Nhon Trach 2 combined cycle plant is located in the south of Dong Nai Province, approximately 35 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City. For the multi shaft plant in which the gas turbines and the steam turbine are each coupled with a dedicated generator, Siemens supplied the power block on a turnkey basis. It comprises two SGT5-4000F gas turbines, two heat-recovery steam generators, an SST5-5000 steam turbine, three SGen-1000A air-cooled generators, the entire electrical equipment, and instrumentation and controls (SPPA-T3000) as well as the ancillary and auxiliary systems.

Vietnam’s power demand is increasing at the rate of 11-13 percent every year. Power plants with a combined capacity of 21 gigawatts are able to meet only one-tenth of actual power demand, leading to permanent power shortages.