Checking the safety of the reservoir at Ban Ve Hydropower Plant
Faced with the complicated flooding situation caused by storm No. 3 (storm Wipha), on the afternoon of July 23, the Inspection Team of the Ministry of Industry and Trade had an emergency working session with Ban Ve Hydropower Plant to review the work of ensuring the safety of dams, hydropower reservoirs and responding to natural disasters in the Ca River basin.
According to the report of Mr. Ta Huu Hung - Director of Ban Ve Hydropower Company, from the evening of July 22, due to the circulation of storm No. 3, a major flood appeared on Ca River, causing great pressure on the hydropower system in areas such as Ban Ve, Hua Na, Nam Non...
At Ban Ve Hydropower Plant, the flood began to appear at 4:00 a.m. on July 22 with a flow of 583 m3/s, the lake water level was at 189.08 m. At 10:00 a.m. on the same day, the flood flow increased rapidly to 1,500 m3/s, the lake water level reached 194.36 m. Immediately after that, at 10:15, the Company received an operating order to reduce floods from Vinasarcom in Nghe An province.
From 4:00 p.m. on July 22, the plant began operating flood discharge with a total flow of 845 m3/s (of which 508 m3/s was opened completely), the lake water level reached 191.23 m, approaching the lowest flood water level (191.5 m). The continued heavy rain caused the water flow to the lake to increase rapidly, peaking at 2:00 a.m. on July 23 at 12,800 m3/s; the discharge flow at this time was 3,285 m3/s.
After reaching the peak, at 6:45 a.m. on July 23, following the direction of the Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee, the company began to gradually close the valve doors, limiting discharge to no more than 5,000 m3/s to save the Nam Non Hydropower Plant downstream, which is at risk of flooding, Mr. Hung informed.
24/24h Safety Control
In the face of emergency floods, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien issued the urgent dispatch No. 5458/CD-BCT on the night of July 22. In which, the Chairmen of the People's Committees of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh provinces and units managing reservoirs in the area are required. In particular, Ban Ve and Hua Na Hydropower Plants urgently deploy response plans to ensure the safety of the project and people in the downstream area.
On July 23, the Minister of Industry and Trade continued to issue Official Dispatch No. 5494/CD-BCT, requesting units in the industry to maintain a high level of vigilance, be ready to take action to protect the safety of works, property and the lives of people in the downstream area of Ca River.
At the same time, the Minister also directed the establishment of a working group of the Ministry of Industry and Trade to go directly to the site, direct the operation of reservoirs, ensure the safety of dams and downstream areas.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Trinh Van Thuan - Deputy Director of the Department of Industrial Safety and Environment Engineering requested EVN, Power Generation Corporation 1 and Ban Ve Hydropower Corporation to continue to closely monitor hydrological developments, continuously update flood forecasts to prepare response plans according to the "four on-site" motto.
Units must strictly implement the approved operation process of single reservoirs and inter-reservoirs. At the same time, organize a 24/7 disaster prevention and control on-duty, promptly report any unusual situations to the authorities" - Mr. Thuan emphasized.
Ensuring absolute safety of the project, informing people early
Deputy Director Trinh Van Thuan noted that Ban Ve Hydropower Plant needs to operate scientifically, ensuring absolute safety for the project. In particular, people must be notified early before regulating the water.
In addition, units need to urgently review and inspect the status of dams, discharge equipment, and downstream warning systems, ensuring clear communication through loudspeakers, horns, lights, signs, water columns, etc. in dangerous areas.
With the close direction of the Minister of Industry and Trade and the Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee, along with the close coordination of units, up to this point, the situation at hydropower projects has been basically controlled, ensuring safety for the project, while contributing to cutting and reducing floods downstream - Mr. Thuan added.
