Quang Nam to convert forests into hydropower plant, urban area

Nearly 34 ha of planted forests in Quang Nam are to be cleared for the construction of the Song Tranh 4 hydropower plant. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh.

Central Quang Nam Province has approved the conversion of nearly 35 hectares of forests into a hydropower plant and new urban area.

Specifically, 33.7 hectares of planted forests would be cleared for the construction of the Song Tranh 4 hydropower plant, while 1.1 hectares of a mangrove palm forest in Hoi An would be converted into an urban area, the provincial People’s Council said last week.

The Song Tranh 4 hydropower plant project, spanning Hiep Duc and Tien Phuoc districts, was approved by the provincial People’s Committee in 2010. It is projected to have a capacity of 48 MW, capable of producing around 178 kWh a year on average.

The palm forest, in Cam Thanh Commune of Hoi An, would be converted into houses for the Con Tien urban area, which spans over 311,000 square meters with a total investment of VND518 billion ($22.4 million) and would have a population of around 2,000. The project was approved in 2016.

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Dac Thanh