HOA BINH HYDROPOWER PLANT

HOA BINH HYDROPOWER PLANT

The Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant was built at Hoa Binh Lake, Phu Tho Province, on the Da River in northern Vietnam. It has been the largest hydropower plant in Vietnam and Southeast Asia since 1994. The plant was constructed and operated with technical assistance from the former Soviet Union.

Construction began on November 6, 1979 and was inaugurated on December 20, 1994. Its designed capacity is 1,920 megawatts, consisting of 12 spillways and 8 generating units, each with a capacity of 240 MW. The annual electricity output reaches 8.16 billion kilowatt hours (kWh).

The poem “Balalaika Music on the Da River” by poet Quang Huy was written to honor the support of the Soviet Union in building the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant.

While students may know that a hydropower plant converts water energy into electricity, not everyone understands how such a massive plant is built, operated, or how it affects the ecosystem and local economy. For this reason, on February 27, 2019, teachers and students of Wellspring High School organized a field trip to the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant as part of their interdisciplinary Physics–Geography project.

Located about 90 km northwest of Wellspring School, the plant impressed the group from the very first sight. At 11:10 a.m., after arriving at the guest area, fatigue and hunger quickly gave way to awe and excitement at the majestic scenery. For the first time, many students saw the massive high-voltage power lines stretching across the mountain, transmitting electricity nationwide.

With its design capacity of 1,920 MW, the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant contributes about 8.16 billion kWh annually, accounting for around 10% of the country’s total electricity output. The eight generating units were gradually put into operation between 1988 (first unit) and 1994 (completion of the eighth). Remarkably, all generating units and the control center are housed entirely inside a mountain.

Walking through the spacious, brightly lit tunnels that connect the operating center to the turbine units, visitors cannot help but admire the perseverance of the thousands of engineers and workers who built nearly 20 km of tunnels with basic drilling tools.

Inside, the students were guided by on-duty engineers to visit the turbine hall, control rooms, and various technical areas. Everything was orderly, clean, and impressive, giving students a clearer understanding of what they had studied in class.

After lunch, the group visited Uncle Ho’s Monument on Tuong Mountain. Traveling along the clean asphalt road, the students realized they were driving atop the massive Hoa Binh Dam, which links two mountains across the Da River. The scene was breathtaking: the once wild and dangerous Da River—described by writer Nguyen Tuan as a “ferocious vampire”—now flowed gently and gracefully alongside the majestic dam.

The dam itself is a monumental feat: 128 meters high, 734 meters long, constructed from nearly 50 million cubic meters of rock, earth, and concrete over 15 years by more than 60,000 workers. The volume of materials used could build a road 1 m wide and 1 m high stretching from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. This immense effort stands as a testament to the dedication and sacrifice of countless workers, engineers, and soldiers.

Beyond generating electricity, the dam plays a crucial role in agriculture and flood control for northern Vietnam, especially the Red River Delta and Hanoi. By regulating water flow, it prevents flooding, supports irrigation, and benefits multiple sectors of the economy.

At Tuong Mountain, the students climbed more than 100 steps to offer flowers and incense at Uncle Ho’s Monument. Built in memory of President Ho Chi Minh’s 1960 vision—“to turn water calamity into water power”—the statue stands 18 meters tall and weighs over 400 tons, overlooking the hydropower plant and the Da River.

From this vantage point, the view was spectacular: the winding Da River, the massive dam, and the thriving town of Hoa Binh all harmonized into a powerful symbol of the unity between man and nature.

The visit concluded with a stop at the plant’s Memorial House, where the group learned about the “Century Letter,” a sealed message placed in a 10-ton concrete block to be opened in the year 2100. Though its contents are no secret, the letter symbolizes the spirit, sacrifice, and achievements of those who built this historic project. A total of 168 workers and engineers lost their lives during construction, their sacrifices forever remembered as part of the plant’s legacy.

On the way back, the students reflected silently, filled with gratitude and pride for the generations before them. The trip left them inspired to live more responsibly and contribute positively to their families, society, and nation.