International experts have warned that the atmosphere in Vietnam
may become as polluted as that in Beijing, China now when the Southeast Asian
country increases the number of coal-powered thermoelectricity plants from the
current 12 to 70 in 2030.
Exhaust fumes from such plants can fly hundreds of kilometers
away in the form of microparticles, creating respiratory problems to humans,
forming layers of poisonous mist in the air, and filtering into soil and
rivers.
It certainly brings bad consequences to crop output and the
quality of farming soil, according to what was discussed at a conference at the
Green Innovation and Development Center (GreenID) under the Vietnam Union of
Scientific and Technological Associations on Tuesday.
In Vietnam, pollution brought about by exhaust fumes that are
generated by coal-powered thermoelectricity plants has led to thousands of
deaths in the past time.
According to a survey, Vietnam burnt 8.7 million tons of coal to
provide heat for 12 coal-powered thermoelectricity plants to generate 4,000MW
of electricity in 2010.
But that process created 17.56 million tons of CO2 in the
year.
The nation is planning to increase its total number of similar
plants to 70 in 2030 from the existent 12.
Then, Vietnam will consume 162.6 million tons of coal at the
plants to generate 75,639MW of electricity energy and discharge 359.8 million
tons of CO2.
Warning
of serious air pollution
Lauri Myllyvirta, from a research team from Harvard University,
said Vietnam now has 4,300 premature fatalities caused by the pollution which
comes from thermoelectricity plants each year.
When all coal-powered thermoelectricity projects under planning
are put into operation, the deaths will likely reach 25,000 a year, Myllyvirta
added.
These plants emit fumes containing microparticles that float in
the air.
The particles may cause numerous diseases and symptoms such as
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – an umbrella term for a number of lung
diseases that prevent proper breathing – cardiac arrest, lung cancer, and a
lack of blood in the heart.
Besides the microparticles, exhaust emissions from thermal power
plants also contain poisonous gas detrimental to the environment and human
health, according to the GreenID.
Ozone from the emissions will combine with other particles in
the air under sunlight to form layers of harmful mist.
Breathing the layers can cause coughing, difficulty in
breathing, and a feeling of tightness in the chest.
All this will result in asthma and chronic inflammation of the
lungs after a long time.
A truck runs past a thermal
power plant in the south-central province of Binh Thuan. Photo: Tuoi
Tre
Exhaust emissions from coal thermoelectricity plants also
include many kinds of chemicals and micro-metallic particles that can penetrate
the lungs and blood vessels to cause heart disease, heartbeat disorder, and
lung injuries.
Myllyvirta warned that when all the 70 coal-powered
thermoelectricity plants are operational in Vietnam, people may not see one
another on streets due to thick mist, a condition of serious air pollution that
Beijing has been suffering.
Nguy Thi Khanh, GreenID director, cited a research that
poisonous gases and fumes generated by coal thermoelectricity plants can badly
affect farming soil and crops.
With most of the plants mainly built in the plains of the Hong
(Red) River in the north and Mekong Delta in the south, which are Vietnam’s two
biggest rice granaries, agricultural production will surely be harmed then,
Khanh stressed.
In addition, many of the thermoelectricity projects will be
built by Chinese investors using outdated technology so the risk of air and
land contamination is even much higher, she noted.
Not
a cheap price
The Ministry of Industry and Trade argued that the development
of the coal-powered thermoelectricity projects has been approved by the prime
minister.
After the Lai Chau hydroelectricity plant is completed in the
northern region, Vietnam will not have any other similar large-scale project to
exploit hydropower.
Nuclear power plants are still under construction while wind and
solar power projects are too expensive to build, the ministry said.
Those are the reasons why Vietnam will still try to produce
thermoelectricity.
However, Khanh noted that the price of coal-powered
thermoelectricity is not cheap at all since it must include the costs of
health, medicine, and the environment.
Besides, Vietnam will not be independent of the input of coal in
2020, when the nation plans to import hundreds of millions of tons of coal per
annum.
Myllyvirta concluded at the meeting that coal-powered
electricity production in Vietnam is going against the trend of development in
the world.
The U.S. started developing coal-powered thermoelectricity
plants in the 19th century and has suffered great damage when it comes to
the health of its people and the environment, said Donna Lisenby from the Safe
and Clean Energy Program of the WaterKeeper Alliance.
As many as 179 coal-powered thermoelectricity projects have been
delayed and 165 such plants have been shut down in the U.S., Lisenby said.
In 2016, China will also close its four biggest coal
thermoelectricity plants to curb air pollution.
From 2013 till the end of this year, China plans to shut down
over 2,000 thermoelectricity plants.
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