Hydropower Plant Upgrade Solution 2026 for Vietnam

Project Background

Our Hydropower Plant Upgrade Solution targets Vietnam, one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing hydropower markets. Boasting over 1,500 small and medium hydropower stations, the country urgently needs high-quality, reliable protective relay solutions to secure safe operation of generators, transformers and transmission lines.
Our company has successfully delivered generator differential protection relays, transformer protection relays, feeder protection relays, and complete substation automation systems to multiple hydropower stations in Vietnam. Each project fully demonstrates our technical depth, product reliability, and commitment to customer success.
Case Study:
The original generator protection relays of a 2×10 MW hydropower station in Central Vietnam experienced frequent nuisance tripping. Due to their age, the legacy relays were no longer functional. The operating unit urgently required a replacement with protection relays featuring superior performance, better harmonic suppression, and faster fault-clearing times.

Our Solution

After a detailed on-site evaluation, our engineering team recommended and provided a comprehensive integrated solution as follows:

Generator Protection Panel

• The assembly includes generator differential protection devices,generator backup protection devices, generator rotor ground-fault protection devices, and generator measurement and control units.
• The system is installed and utilized as a complete panel.
• The LCD interfaces of the protection devices are displayed in English.

Generator Synchronization Panel

• This project consists of two generator units; therefore, a synchronization panel was configured for four-point synchronization, with two points serving as redundant backups.
• The panel supports both manual and automatic synchronization modes to ensure stable and reliable on-site operation.

Central Signal Panel & Monitoring

• The original central signal panel was removed and replaced with an Electric Power Background Monitoring System.
• Through the computer-based SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system, the generators are monitored, achieving intelligent operation and maintenance management.

Excitation System

• The legacy excitation system was outdated and non-functional. In accordance with technical requirements, a new thyristor (SCR) excitation system was selected.
• This system meets all technical performance indicators and regulations for static rectifier excitation systems for large and medium-sized hydro-generators.
• Operating modes include:
• Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR)
• Field Current Regulation (FCR)
• Constant Reactive Power Regulation
• Mode switching is performed via pre-set or manual selection.

Digital Intelligent Protection

• Relays on the high-voltage switchgear were replaced with modern digital intelligent protection products.
• This includes motor protection devices, line protection devices, and distribution transformer protection devices.
• Data communication with the background system was established, achieving true information automation.
  Our team provided:
• A full set of relay setting calculations.
• On-site installation guidance.
• Station-wide joint commissioning and testing for relay protection systems.

Technical Standards Followed

All protective relays supplied for our Vietnam hydropower projects comply with the following standards:

• IEC 60255 Series (Measuring relays and protection equipment).
• IEC 61850 (Communication networks and systems for power utility automation).
• GB/T 14285 (Chinese standard, widely accepted in Vietnam).
• Vietnam EVN Local Technical Requirements (as specified).

Contact Information

Are you currently developing or upgrading a hydropower project in Vietnam or surrounding regions? Welcome to contact us for:

• Product technical manuals and application case studies.
• Protection setting calculation services.
• Customized protection solutions for your generator sets.
• On-site or remote commissioning support.

To sum up our solutions for hydropower plants, there are several key points:

Catering to the upgrading and renovation needs of small and medium-sized hydropower stations, focusing on core links of relay protection and automatic control.

Ensuring the safe and stable operation of equipment, covering full-scenario protection for generators, transformers and transmission lines.

Adapting to the development status of overseas markets such as Vietnam, providing customized and highly reliable integrated solutions.

Supporting later operation, maintenance and intelligent upgrading to meet the long-term grid connection and safe operation requirements of the hydropower industry.

We have a professional team of engineers. Feel free to contact us for any potential projects.

FAQ

What is the difference between primary equipment and secondary equipment of hydropower plants?

A：Primary equipment refers to main power equipment that directly participates in power generation, transmission and distribution, such as generators, main transformers and high-voltage switches. Secondary equipment is auxiliary monitoring and protection equipment, including automation measurement & control devices, relay protection devices, background monitoring systems and secondary circuits, which are used to monitor, control and protect primary equipment without bearing main power current.

What are the common relay protection configurations for hydropower units?

A：Common configurations include generator differential protection, stator/rotor grounding protection, overcurrent/overload protection, negative sequence current protection, overspeed protection, and main transformer differential protection, gas protection and zero-sequence protection, covering various electrical and mechanical faults of units and transformers.

Q: What is the Hydropower Plant Upgrade Solution designed for?

A: This solution is tailored for aging, low-efficiency and technically backward hydropower plants. It covers mechanical refurbishment, electrical renovation, digital intelligent transformation and safety standard upgrading. It improves power generation efficiency and operational safety, extends plant service life, meets modern grid and environmental compliance requirements, and avoids the high investment of full plant reconstruction.

Q: What types of hydropower plants are suitable for this upgrade solution?

A: It applies to all conventional run-of-river and reservoir hydropower plants of small, medium and large scales, especially units with capacity attenuation, outdated control systems, high failure rates and non-compliant safety or environmental facilities. It supports flexible partial component upgrade or full-system modernization based on on-site conditions.

Q: What are the core benefits of adopting this upgrade solution versus full plant replacement?

A: Different from full reconstruction, this solution retains qualified civil structures and main mechanical assets, cutting total investment by 30%–50%. It features shorter construction cycles, minimized power outage, 5%–20% higher generation efficiency, upgraded intelligent control and standardized safety & environmental systems, delivering better short-to-medium-term ROI.

Q: Does the upgrade require replacing the entire turbine and generator unit?

A: Complete unit replacement is not required. We conduct targeted upgrades based on equipment detection and CFD simulation, only updating core components such as turbine runners, guide vanes and generator insulation systems to restore unit performance cost-effectively.

Q: How does the solution improve hydropower generation efficiency?

A: Efficiency is improved through hydraulic optimization, pipeline anti-corrosion treatment, high-precision governor and excitation system upgrading, and aging component replacement. Overall power output increases by 5%–10% normally and up to 20% for severely aging units.

Q: What digital and intelligent upgrades are included in the solution?

A: The solution supports full digital upgrade matched withDigital Intelligent Protection system, including intelligent sensing, digital protection, automatic control and remote O&M. It realizes fault early warning, automatic operation and unattended management.

Q: Will the upgrade construction cause long-term power outage of the plant?

A: We adopt phased and staggered construction. Multi-unit plants renovate units one by one; single-unit plants construct during low-load seasons, effectively minimizing power outage losses.

Q: Is professional operator training provided after the upgrade?

A: Yes. We provide professional training covering system operation, fault handling, emergency disposal and maintenance, together with complete O&M manuals to ensure proficient on-site operation.

Q: What is the service life extension effect after the upgrade?

A: Comprehensive system upgrades extend plant service life by 20–30 years. Digital monitoring greatly reduces equipment failure rate and maintenance costs, ensuring long-term stable operation.

Conclusion

Aligned with Vietnam’s national energy strategy, the 2026 hydropower renovation scheme enables safe, intelligent and low-carbon operation of hydropower assets. We are committed to partnering with all stakeholders to push forward project implementation and advance Vietnam’s sustainable hydropower development.