Difficult journey for enormous turbine

>> Biggest hydroelectric power plant’s new turbine commissioned

>> First turbine spins at Son La dam

In order to start operating turbines of Son La hydroelectric plant on schedule, great efforts were made to transport heavy equipment from abroad.

The equipment was imported through the port of Haiphong.

The machinery had to take a trip upstream the Red River before reaching the Hoa Binh hydroelectric dam on the Da River, and then Son La Province in the northeastern mountainous area.

All of this effort was to get 400-MW turbine 2, of Vietnam’s largest hydroelectric plant, running on schedule, on April 20.

Last December, turbine 1 of the plant began operation, which has contributed 1.1 billion kWh of electricity to the national power grid so far.

The Son La hydroelectric plant has six turbines with a combined capacity of 2,400 MW. It is also the biggest of its kind in Southeast Asia.

Images captured during transportation:

The turbine’s wheel

Enormous components draw curiosity

Turbine weighs dozens of tonnes

The barge which carried the equipment

Crane loads one component

Days of preparation before loading

Special barges were needed

Workers secure the unique equipment

Loading

Waiting on the barge

Delivery two weeks later

Going along the Duong River

Arrival in Hanoi

Passage underneath Duong Bridge

Heavy trucks for heavy load

Truck could not handle the weight

View from inside

On the road again

Another river to cross