The construction site of Quang Trach I

Its first turbine is targeted to start generation in the fourth quarter of 2028, the second in the first quarter of 2029, and full completion in 2030, according to the Power Project Management Board 2 under Vietnam Electricity (EVN).

The plant will help ensure a stable power supply for the northern region through the national power grid.

It will include a liquefied natural gas (LNG) berth able to accommodate 100,000 DWT vessels, equivalent to 218,000 cubic meters of LNG, along with a 250,000-cubic-metre LNG storage tank.

A 1,200 MW coal-fired power project worth VND48.16 trillion ($1.83 billion), which received approval in 2021, will be converted for the plant. It will have a capacity of 1,500 MW with a total investment of over VND52.49 trillion ($1.99 billion), with 20 per cent funded by equity and 80 per cent by loans.

The adjustments, made to align with the National Power Development Plan VIII issued in May 2023, shift the project to gas in a bid to curb toxic emissions and protect the environment.

Early this month, Chairman of Quang Tri People's Committee Tran Phong invited the provincial Economic Zone Management Authority to work with relevant agencies on advising the province in selecting or assigning an investor for the plant, in line with Vietnam's Electricity Law and bidding regulations.

The move comes as EVN seeks approval to take charge of this project, with a proposal to be submitted to the prime minister.

Another project is Quang Tri Thermal Power Plant. Earlier in 2025, Power Generation Corporation 1 (EVNGENCO1), a unit of EVN, sent a proposal to Quang Tri seeking approval from authorities to take the lead on this venture.

The plant carries an investment of more than VND55 trillion ($2.08 billion) at 1,320 MW, including two 660 MW units.

EVNGENCO1 targets groundbreaking in the third quarter of 2027, with both units scheduled to begin commercial operations in the fourth quarter of 2030.

The plant was originally approved in August 2013 for development under the build-operate-transfer model by EGATi, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand.

However, in July 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Trade agreed to EGATi's request to withdraw from the project. As of that date, all contractual and legal obligations between EGATi and the ministry were nullified. The project is now listed among delayed coal-fired power projects in the National Power Development Plan VIII due to shareholder changes and financing challenges.