Donor / Partner:  The Asian Development Bank (ADB)    |    Duration : 2010   |    Location: Vietnam

About: Climate change has the potential to exacerbate the risk associated with large infrastructure projects within their life-span. Can Tho and the Mekong Delta have been identified as one of the most vulnerable regions in the world. Predicted changes to the deltaic climate could increase both the magnitude and frequency of occurrence of floods, storms and induce greater seasonal variability in weather patterns which will increase the risk and potentially reduce the design life of large infrastructure works such as the O Mon power station.

The Asian Development Bank commissioned ICEM to complete a rapid climate change threat and vulnerability study of the O Mon IV Power Plant. The objective of the study was to undertake an initial and  rapid assessment of the potential threats and impacts of climate change to the  O Mon IV combined cycle power station. In doing so, the study assessed the vulnerability  of plant design, infrastructure and operations and sets priority areas for  adaptation response.

Study objectives:

• Review and collect data from existing modelling work which has downscaled general circulation model (GCM) to project Can Tho’s  climate in 2025 and 2050 under A2 and B2 development scenarios
• Integrate results into a hydrodynamic model to predict sea level, storm surge, and river temperature at the O Mon IV site, adjacent to Hau River in Can Tho
• Assess O Mon IV vulnerability in 2025 and 2050 taking into account current design requirements for the project’s height above sea level, Hau river dyke height, and cooling water temperature specification.

The output of the study was the final report  that covers the projected climate and hydrological threats for two time-slices: 2025 and 2050 (A2 and B2), including an assessment of the probability of occurrence for key impacts. As well as the vulnerability of the O Mon IV project, focusing on vulnerability from flooding and increase in air/water temperature increases.

> View more and download the final report of the O Mon IV Power Station Rapid Climate Change Threat and Vulnerability Assessment

> View more and download The Case of a Combined Cycle Power Plant – Final Report