With a capacity of 750 megawatts (MW) and a plant net efficiency of over 57 percent, the power plant received the gold award in the Fast-Track Power Plant of the Year category at the Asian Power Awards 2012.

It was the first Vietnamese company to receive the prestigious award.

The Asian Power Awards, dubbed as the Oscars of the power industry, is organised annually to recognise top achievers in the region as they strive for quality and excellence.

The Nhon Trach 2 CCPP began commercial operations in late 2011 after a fast-track construction period of only 28.5 months, 1.5 months earlier than the contracted schedule.

According to a report from Petro Viet Nam Power Nhon Trach 2 Joint Stock Company, the project was judged as highly safe, effective and economical, with a short construction schedule.

Thanks to advanced Siemens burner technology, the plant’s nitrogen oxide emission at full load on gas is very low, at 25 ppm (parts per million) or less.

The power plant also tops the contractual figures both for power output and electrical efficiency, as well as lower emissions.

The plant thus sets a new power quality benchmark for Viet Nam’s power industry.

Using modern technologies, Nhon Trach 2 CCPP has achieved the highest efficiency of all thermal power plants in Viet Nam, with high stability and usability as well as environmental friendliness.

The plant has contributed 5 billion kwh of electricity to the national power grid.

In the first nine months of 2012, the plant hit 3.2 billion kwh, meeting the assigned plan, even during difficult economic times.

Viet Nam is one of the fastest-growing countries in Southeast Asia with a pronounced increase in its power demand at around 11 to 13 percent per year.

The installed electrical capacity nationwide is approximately 21 gigawatts, which can accommodate only 10 percent of the overall demand.