(EnergyAsia, March 7 2011, Monday) — The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is providing loans to Vietnam for the construction of its Nghi Son Coal-fired Power Plant II project under the agency’s energy building programme.

JICA has also agreed to provide the Vietnamese government loans for poverty reduction and the construction of a bridge.

The three agreements are worth a total of 58.18 billion yen. (US$1=82 yen).

Japan has emerged as the largest official development assistance (ODA) provider for Vietnam over the past two decades. Some of  the projects it has supported include the Pha Lai Coal-fired Power Plant, Phu My Power Plant, and Ham Thuan-Da Mi Power Plant.