Vietnam develops coal power despite environmental concerns

Vietnam develops coal power despite environmental concerns

A report from the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) released in 2015 showed that
hydropower accounted for 43.2 percent of installation capacity and made up
34.15 percent of total electricity output. Meanwhile, the figures were 33.7
percent and 34.37 percent, respectively, for coal thermal power.

Under the seventh power development strategy, coal thermopower will play a
key role in Vietnam's energy sector. The electricity output from coal
thermopower is expected to account for 49.3 percent by 2020 and 55 percent
by 2025.

By 2030, Vietnam would have 64 coal thermopower plants throughout the
country with the total capacity of 55,300 MW which will churn out 304
billion kwh, or 53.2 percent of total electricity output.

Coal thermopower causes pollution to the air, earth and water, and
respiratory diseases and cancer. It is the source of spreading toxic
substances such as mercury, selenium, arsenic, lead, cadmium and heavy
metals. It spreads out ash and acid rain which damage agriculture and
fisheries, produces greenhouse gas emissions, and warms the Earth
contributing to climate change.

Healthcare organizations estimate that every kwh of coal power costs $0.17
worth of healthcare service.

Coal thermopower makes big contribution to the destruction of the marine
environment. It is because coal power plants need large volume of water for
their cooling systems. This explains why plants are mostly located near the
sea.

According to CHANGE, a non-government organization, one 500 MW coal power
plant in every 3.5 minutes will suck a volume of water big enough to be
contained in an Olympic swimming pool (2,500 cubic meters) to cool the
system.

After the cooling, water will be given back to rivers, lakes and the sea
with temperature 8-13oC higher, which affects the living environment of
aquatic creatures.

The sucking of water into cooling systems will kill fish. In the US,
Bayshore coal power plants in Ohio killed 60 million tons of big fish
yearly, while at Huntley in New York, 96 million tons of fish were caught
each year in its cooling system.

The Hon Cau Marine Protection Area (MPA) in Binh Thuan province, one of 16
programmed MPAs in Vietnam, has been cited by scientists as one of the
regions under threat by the Vinh Tan Power Plant nearby.

At present, there is only one coal power plant - Vinh Tan 1 - operational in
the region. In the future, there would be four plants there by 2030, under
the seventh power strategy.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Link to Original Article:
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/environment/173158/vietnam-develops-coal-po
wer-despite-environmental-concerns.html

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com