Hòa Bình Hydroelectric Plant: 20th Century Pride

Exploring the Hòa Bình Hydroelectric Plant, an emblematic structure of Hòa Bình city, will leave tourists awestruck by its magnificence.

Hòa Bình Hydroelectric Plant: 20th Century Pride

When you think of Hòa Bình province, you immediately think of its iconic landmark, the Hòa Bình Hydroelectric Plant. It is also one of the largest hydroelectric projects in Southeast Asia of the 20th century.

The Hòa Bình Hydroelectric Plant was constructed from 1979 to 1991 on the majestic Đà River, with financial aid and technical support from the former Soviet Union. The project was inaugurated on December 20, 1994, serving four vital purposes, including flood control to ensure safety for the capital city, the Red River Delta provinces, and providing essential electricity supply.

The Hòa Bình Hydroelectric Plant features a design partially embedded in the mountain, demanding high precision in construction techniques. The dam, employing a waterproofing membrane technique (earth-rockfill dam), stretches 734 meters in length, 128 meters in height, withstanding a water column differential of 102 meters. To build the dam, workers had to divert the river twice, first on January 12, 1983, and then on January 9, 1986.

The main body of the plant is submerged underground. To withstand earthquakes and prevent seepage, Soviet experts applied techniques used in building the Aswan Hydroelectric Dam on the Nile (Egypt), using cement injection and grouting. This method was chosen due to the frequent seismic activities in the Northwest region, reaching up to magnitude 8; and the significant difference in water flow between dry and flood seasons.

The spillway dam has 12 bottom gates and 6 surface gates with a maximum discharge capacity of 35,400m3/s. The reservoir has a capacity of 9.8 billion cubic meters of water. Pyramid-shaped concrete pillars are erected at the flood discharge gates to reduce water velocity during discharge. The workforce involved in the project includes 30,000 workers, 5,000 soldiers, 750 Soviet experts, and 1,000 project management officials.

The plant is located underground within a hill where all the main equipment is installed, including 8 generator units, high-pressure transformers, and auxiliary facilities. The eight generator units have a total capacity of 1,920 MW, with each unit having a capacity of 240 MW. Each turbine, during operation, is accompanied by functional electrical panels for controlling the electricity output.

After 9 years of construction, at 14:10 on December 24, 1988, the first unit of the Hòa Bình hydroelectric plant started generating electricity, marking a historic moment for the country and the Vietnamese electricity industry. By April 4, 1994, the final unit - the eighth unit started generating electricity.

The Hòa Bình hydroelectric plant not only greatly contributes to the national power grid but also symbolizes the historic friendship between Vietnam and the former Soviet Union. Before being surpassed by the Sơn La hydroelectric plant, the Hòa Bình hydroelectric plant was the largest in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

You can visit the plant from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm every day of the week. The plant is divided into two areas for visitors, outside and inside. Ticket prices range from 10,000 VND to 50,000 VND. In addition to entrance tickets, visitors can park their vehicles at the parking lot for prices ranging from 5,000 VND to 20,000 VND depending on the type of vehicle.

You'll be truly impressed by the magnificence of this structure as soon as you step foot here. Especially, the courtyard area also showcases a concrete block buried deep inside a sealed letter from the project leaders, including the signature of the Soviet Chief Specialist sent to the Vietnamese generation 100 years later, written in both Vietnamese and Russian. The letter will be opened on the first day of the year 2100.

According to Mytour

***

Reference: Mytour Travel Guide