PM Dung inspects Son La Hydroelectric power Plant
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has urged Son La province, relevant ministries, agencies, as well as investors and contractors of the Son La Hydroelectric power Plant to put its first turbine into operation safely by December 2010, two years ahead of schedule.
Mr Dung made the request while attending a ceremony to close the sluices that fill up the plant’s reservoir on May 15. The plant has six turbines with a combined capacity of 2,400 MW and is expected to turn out an average electricity output of nearly 10 billion kWh a year.
He praised ethnic minority groups in the three provinces of Son La, Dien Bien and Lai Chau for their resettlement in new places to clear the way for the Son La Hydropower Plant.
He conveyed that the Government has decided to increase the total investment capital for the resettlement project of the Son La Hydropower Plant from VND10 trillion to VND20 trillion to ensure relocated people can soon return to normal life and production activities.
PM Dung stressed that the plant will not only supply much necessary electricity for socio-economic development, but also help control floods in the rainy season, supply water for the northern delta in dry season and contribute to socio-economic development in the northwestern region.
In a working session with key officials of Son La province, the Government leader lauded efforts by the provincial Party organisation, authority and people over the past years to gain achievements in all fields. Over the past five years, the province’s GDP growth rate was over 10 percent, reaching 14.36 percent in 2009.
He said Son La has done well in resettlement work to serve the construction of the Son La Hydropower Plant and asked the province to continue efforts to help relocated people stabilise their lives.
The PM suggested that the province pay attention to building a socio-economic development plan for the next five years, with a focus on agriculture, dairy cows and rubber.