Vietnam has brought its first commercial liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fired power project into operation, marking a milestone in the country’s generation mix as it expands dispatchable capacity to support rising renewable energy penetration.
PetroVietnam Power Corporation (PV Power), in partnership with GE Vernova, confirmed that the Nhon Trach 3 and Nhon Trach 4 combined-cycle gas plants have entered commercial operation.
Located at Ong Keo Industrial Park in Vietnam’s southern industrial region, the two plants have a combined installed capacity of 1,6 GW and are intended to strengthen electricity supply reliability in one of the country’s main demand centres.
According to GE Vernova, the facilities deploy the company’s 9HA.02 gas turbine technology, achieving combined-cycle efficiencies exceeding 63%, placing the plants among the most efficient gas-fired power stations currently in operation.
PV Power said the LNG-fired units are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 60% compared with coal-fired plants of equivalent capacity, reflecting the role of gas as a lower-emissions alternative in Vietnam’s power transition.
The project aligns with Vietnam’s National Power Development Plan VIII under which LNG-fired generation capacity is projected to reach about 22 GW by 2030. LNG is expected to play a central role in providing flexible and dispatchable power as variable renewable energy capacity continues to expand.
