The Yen Xa wastewater treatment project in Hanoi, with an investment exceeding VND16.293 trillion (US$641 million), is set to start trial operations on December 1 after multiple delays.

The start date was announced during a working trip on Friday by Nguyen Trong Dong, vice-chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, along with officials from relevant departments and agencies inspecting the project.

Launched in 2019, the project comprises four packages, according to Chu Manh Tuan, deputy head of the city’s infrastructure and agricultural project management board.

Two of the packages, the Yen Xa wastewater treatment plant and the main sewer system for the To Lich River, have reached completion and are ready for the December trial.

However, progress on the remaining two packages faces some hurdles.

In package No. 3, the project management board terminated its contract with the contractor and is now seeking approval from the central government to shift funding from official development assistance (ODA) loans to the city’s budget to maintain momentum.

Construction on package No. 4 resumed recently after a contract extension last November.

However, the disbursement of ODA funds for the project has lagged.

As of this month, only 49.4 percent of the allocated VND1.083 trillion ($42.6 million) had been disbursed.

Tuan elaborated that unresolved disputes over management fees and contractor interest rates, stipulated under FIDIC contracts but not recognized in Vietnamese regulations, have delayed payments for completed work.

A FIDIC contract refers to a standardized form of construction contract developed by the International Federation of Consulting Engineers. These contracts are widely used in international construction and infrastructure projects.

Dong asked the project management board, the municipal Department of Construction, and relevant units to take measures to facilitate work on the remaining packages; streamline administrative procedures; connect untreated wastewater discharge points along the river to the new sewer system; and finalize wastewater treatment pricing to ensure smooth operations.

Once the trial operations start, the plant will generate approximately 200 metric tons of sludge per day.

The vice-chairman charged the construction department with developing a disposal plan and cleaning up solid waste along the waterway.

Funded primarily by Japanese ODA loans, the Yen Xa wastewater treatment plant is designed to treat wastewater from major Hanoi rivers, including the To Lich, Lu, Set, and parts of the Nhue. 

The facility, with a daily capacity of 270,000 cubic meters, spans an area of 4,874 hectares.

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