EVN and AFD signed a credit agreement on a loan of 74.7 million euros (US$82.6 million) to develop the expanded Ialy hydropower plant in the Central Highland province of Gia Lai. — Photo courtesy of EVN

Viet Nam Electricity (EVN) on Tuesday signed a credit agreement with the French Development Agency (AFD) on a loan worth 74.7 million euros (US$82.6 million) to develop the expanded Ialy hydropower plant in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai.

The loan, which does not have a Government guarantee, accounts for 30.8 per cent of the total investment of the project - estimated at nearly VND6.4 trillion ($278.6 million).

The expanded Ialy Hydropower plant will have two turbines with a combined capacity of 360 megawatts.

Construction is expected to start in the third quarter of 2021, and the first turbine is slated to generate electricity in the second quarter of 2024, the second turbine in the third quarter, and the entire project by December 2024.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Director of AFD in Viet Nam Fabrice Richy said the Ialy Hydropower Plant Extension project will contribute to the transformation of Viet Nam's energy into a low-carbon and sustainable form of energy, adding that this is one of the important strategies of AFD in Viet Nam.

He also said that AFD wants to continue to work with EVN and its member units as well as other State-owned companies in Viet Nam through funding without a government guarantee.

Duong Quang Thanh, Chairman of EVN's Member Council, said the Ialy Hydropower Plant Extension project and other expansion hydropower projects are part of EVN's green and sustainable energy development strategy.

“EVN appreciates AFD’s support over the past 20 years, especially through concessional loans without government guarantees and valuable technical assistance to EVN,” he said. — VNS