The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, better known as EGATI, is making Quang Tri its chief focus as it develops its overseas business in Vietnam. EGATI has gained in-principle approval to build a 1,200-megawatt thermal power plant which will cover 450 hectares in Hai Lang district.

According to the Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee, the $2.26 billion power project will operate under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. Once completed, it will play a key role in ensuring national power security as well as bolstering the local socio-economic development.

EGATI is not the only investor setting up shop in Quang Tri. Data from the province’s Department of Planning and Investment shows that by October 2014 the province had attracted more than 200 private investment projects, with the total investment capital of more than $2 billion.

Some projects operating there have achieved remarkable success, including Geruco MDF wood processing mill, Phong Phu garment and textile factory, Hoa Tho garment and textile factory, Super Horse energy drink plant, Camel motorbike tyre plant, ICall mobile assembling plant and Uni-President Ltd’s facility.

Situated in central Vietnam, Quang Tri borders Quang Binh to the north, Thua Thien-Hue to the south and Laos to the west. The province is traversed by the Highway 9 which is part of the East-West Economic Corridor running through the Lao Bao International Border Gate, providing ample opportunities for the development of trade, tourism, and investment co-operation between Vietnam with ASEAN members. 

Although the province recorded an average per capita income of just VND19.5 million (around $900) in 2013, the province’s economic structure has greatly improved in recent years, with industry and construction accounting for 38 per cent of the province’s output, followed by agriculture, forestry and fisheries at 23.8 per cent, and services accounting for the remaining  38.2 per cent.

Despite the fact that Quang Tri remains one of the poorest provinces in Vietnam, it currently holds massive potential by virtue of its 120-kilometre coastline and the 60-100 billion cubic metres of high quality gas resources it possesses.

According to the government’s gas industry development master plan, a gas transmission system to Quang Tri will be constructed during the 2014-2016 period. This system will be capable of transporting 1-3 billion cubic metres of gas per year. Once completed this will obviously provide favourable conditions for the development of the gas-nitrogen industry and hi-tech product processing in the province.

Quang Tri also has 8,400 square kilometres of fishing grounds for raisin tiger shrimp, cuttlefish, greater amberjack fish and sea-cucumber, providing an annual catch of some 17,000 tonnes. The province has another 4,000 hectares of water surface for shrimp and crab farming. More than 3,000 hectares are already being used for aquaculture with the annual output of 7,500- 8,000 tonnes.