Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plants to begin commercial operation in October and December, 2025

On the afternoon of August 22, a working delegation led by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam Nguyen Hoang Long inspected the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plant Project in Dai Phuoc commune, Dong Nai province. This is one of the national key projects in the energy sector.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade’s working delegation inspects the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plant Project. Photo: Contributor

Reporting to the working delegation, leaders of PetroVietnam Power Corporation – JSC (PV Power, the project investor) said: The project has a capacity of over 1,600 MW with a total investment capital of more than USD 1.4 billion. The project was approved by the Prime Minister in 2019, and the investor signed an Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract and began construction in 2022.

To date, the investor has signed a land lease agreement with the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee for nearly 12 hectares and with Tin Nghia Corporation for more than 37 hectares; all of the land has been granted land use rights certificates.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade’s delegation inspects the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plant. Photo: Contributor

As of the end of July 2025, overall project progress had reached more than 98%. Of this, detailed designs were 99% complete; procurement and manufacturing of equipment had been finished, delivered, and installed at the site; construction had reached more than 99.9%; and trial run was nearly 76% complete.

As of August 18, 2025, Nhon Trach 3 Power Plant had already generated approximately 195 million kWh to the grid; it is expected to officially begin commercial operation by the end of October 2025. Nhon Trach 4 Power Plant is scheduled to start commercial operation in early December 2025.

Regarding grid connection, the 500kV transmission line successfully received power at the end of 2024; the 220kV Nhon Trach 3 – My Xuan – Cat Lai branch line is expected to be completed in Q4 2025; and the 220kV Nhon Trach 3 – Long Thanh 500kV substation line is scheduled for completion in Q1 2026.

Power distribution station of the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plant Project. Photo: Hoang Loc

Current challenges include the absence of an agreed annual power output (Qc) in the power purchase agreement, which prevents the defining of annual LNG purchase volumes. In addition, transmission lines needed to fully evacuate capacity from Nhon Trach 3 have not been completed, forcing the plant to temporarily rely on the connection lines of Nhon Trach 1 and 2, a situation that could limit full capacity utilization in the long run.

Therefore, PV Power suggested the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade and the working delegation to support the project in obtaining the electricity operation license so that Nhon Trach 3 will soon be eligible for commercial operation; assist in negotiating the Qc in the power purchase agreement with Vietnam Electricity (EVN) to guarantee offtake of gas volumes and improve project efficiency; and suggested EVN to complete the transmission lines to evacuate capacity, ensuring safe and stable operation of the power system.

Construction of Nhon Trach 3 and 4 power plants reaches over 98% completion. Photo: Hoang Loc

The Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade emphasised: Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plants are of special importance to the energy sector and the country’s economic development. These are the first power plants in Vietnam using liquefied natural gas, marking a transition from coal to cleaner fuels. Once operational, the project will not only add significant power supply, contributing to national energy security and meeting the growing electricity demand in the southern region, but also support emission reduction commitments and sustainable development goals. With an investment scale of billions of USD, the project will also create momentum for economic growth, job creation, and budget contributions to Dong Nai province.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade’s leadership suggested that Dong Nai province resolve land clearance obstacles, EVN accelerate the implementation of transmission line facilities to evacuate capacity, and PV Power to ensure the timeline for commercial operation is met.

By: Hoang Loc

Translated by: Thu Hien - Thu Ha