Hoa Binh Hydropower Expansion Begins Operation, Raising Capacity to 2,400 MW

The two new units at the Hoa Binh Hydropower expansion project connected to the grid on August 19 and November 14, 2025, respectively. Vietnam Electricity (EVN) held an inauguration ceremony for the project on December 19 that year. The expansion increased the plant’s number of units from eight to 10 and its total installed capacity from 1,920 MW to 2,400 MW, a rise of 25%. The expansion is expected to supply an average of about 490 million kWh a year.

The project was approved on April 11, 2018, with an investment of about VND 9.22 trillion. It added two 240 MW units that generate power using water from the existing Hoa Binh Reservoir. Construction began on January 10, 2021, and was originally scheduled for completion in 2024. The project entered operation about a year later than planned.

Construction area of the Hoa Binh Hydropower expansion project.（VietVance）

In October 2021, persistent rain caused landslides on the powerhouse foundation pit slope on October 17, October 20 and November 6. According to figures released by Vietnam Electricity, the hill where construction was underway received 426 mm of rain from October 10 to 20. The landslide in the early hours of November 6 involved more than 80,000 cubic meters of earth and rock and buried the entrance to an auxiliary construction tunnel. EVN said the landslide caused no injuries or equipment losses and did not affect the main dam.

A construction site associated with the Hoa Binh Hydropower expansion project.（VietVance）

Construction was then suspended for safety. Vietnam Electricity worked with relevant authorities, designers and contractors to address the landslide area in stages. By the end of July 2022, the first stage of remediation was largely complete. Construction was halted for a total of 11 months. Work later resumed, and the two units began generating power in 2025.

Source: VietVance