Da Mi Solar Power Plant one year after operation date

Originated from a breakthrough idea  

The whole project was built on 56.65ha, in which 50ha on water surface to install photovoltaic (PV) arrays and 6.65ha onshore to build 110kV station, 2 inverter stations and one 110kV transmission lines with length of 3.5km. By the end 2019, according to Asian Development Bank (ADB), this was the largest installed capacity floating solar power plant in ASEAN and the first floating solar power plant in Vietnam. The investment of the first floating solar power plant in Vietnam was originated from breakthrough ideas of people, who are powerful in thinking and implementing, to develop power sources for the National electricity grid.

Da Mi solar power plant landscape

Started construction since August 2018, Da Mi solar power plant began commercial operation on 01stJune 2019 to contribute supplying clean power source to the National electricity grid and adapt to electricity consumption demand of Binh Thuan province. After one-year operation, all technical parameters are satisfied and exceeded the designed values. According the approved technical design, Da Mi solar power plant supplies 69.9 million kWh for the first-year operation with Performance Ratio (PR) of 81.43%. In fact, the production in the first year of the plant reaches 74.18 million kWh, exceeds 6.12% designed value with PR of 85.80%.

Da Mi solar power project was invested at an ideal location

The clean environment at the project site ensures efficiency of PVs

Da Nhim - Ham Thuan - Da Mi Hyro Power Joint Stock Company decided to invest Da Mi floating solar project on the surface of Da Mi reservoir due to several factors but the most important key point is the maximum water level fluctuation just 2 meters. During a year, the water level is nearly stable causing many conveniences in designing floating and anchoring system to install PVs arrays.

The Da Mi reservoir surface is a wonderful natural cooling environment to keep PV’s temperature in the technical limit to ensure working effect. Besides, the clean environment at the site causes less dust on the surface of PVs in comparison to PV installed on land. More than one year of operation, the Company has just cleaned PV cells only one time. In addition, the utilizing surface of hydropower reservoir has reduced land acquisition and compensation cost, decreased investment rate and increased investment efficiency for the project. 

Lessons from the project

110kV station of Da Mi solar power plant

PV arrays are installed on water surface are affected by wind, water level fluctuation and water flow so the anchoring strings to keep PV arrays should be designed to ensure safety condition. Besides, the controlling and monitoring system should be designed to detect DC earth fault to isolate fault point in the shortest time to ensure safety condition while inverter working continuously.   

After one year of operation, the Da Mi floating solar power plant has proved the rightness in choosing investment location to achieve high efficiency. The investment of Da Mi floating solar power plant has opened a new trend to develop power sources on the surface of hydropower and irrigation reservoirs to supply renewable power to the National grid for development of the nation. 

Nguyen Ngoc Tuan.