O Mon IV will supply power to the Mekong Delta region, support expanded industrial activity, spur new livelihood opportunities, and reduce dependence on hydroelectricity tapped from other regions.

The new combined cycle gas turbine plant is one of four being developed at the O Mon thermal power complex in Can Tho city, about 250 kilometers south of Ho Chi Minh City.

The project will save approximately 600,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year compared to coal-based alternatives, possibly qualifying the facility for carbon credits.

The plant, which is due for completion by June 2016, is estimated to cost US$793.5 million. Germany’s KfW Bankengruppe will contribute US$370 million, with state-owned Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and the Government of Vietnam together providing almost US$113.6 million.

According to Anthony Jude, Director of ADB’s Energy Division for Southeast Asia, Vietnam’s power consumption has grown 15 percent a year over the past decade, and will continue rising at a double-digit pace for the foreseeable future.

“Vietnam desperately needs more electricity, and the additional power supply will support economic and social development in the Mekong Delta,” says Anthony Jude.