Quang Nam pulls plug on four hydropower plants

Nguyen Hong Quang, its deputy chairman, said Monday the People's Council decided to remove four small and medium-sized projects -- A Vuong 4 in Tay Giang and Dong Giang districts, Song Bung 3 in Nam Giang District, A Banh in Tay Giang District, and Dak Di 4 in Nam Tra My District – from the list of planned hydropower plants as they have low capacity, severely impact the environment, require large tracts of land, and bring low economic benefit.

The fact their investment procedures were tardily completed impacted the planning and construction of other infrastructure and caused disapproval in the community, he said.

"The scrapping of these hydropower projects is also to re-evaluate the impacts of small and medium-sized hydropower plants."

Two other plants in Nam Giang District, Cha Val and Dak Pring 2, are also being considered for removal, according to the People's Council.

The central province plans to have in all 46 hydropower plants that will generate 2.175 billion kWh annually. Thirteen are operational and seven others are being built.

But the province has repeatedly been hit by natural disasters that were severely compounded by dams. Last October heavy rains, floods and landslides killed 43 people and left 13 others missing and 350 injured.

Nearly 5,000 houses were destroyed or severely damaged.

Infrastructure damage was estimated at around VND11 trillion ($479.5 million).

In December the Ministry of Industry and Trade called on provinces to rescind plans for small hydropower projects, and only go ahead with projects that do not have a significant impact on the environment, residential areas or forests.