Overhead crane produced by Quang Trung Industrial Group on Son La hydroelectric dam

Leaving behind the bustling atmosphere in the city, we went up to the northwestern mountains, to Son La hydropower, where thousands of people are working hard for the future power of the country. Highway 6 in the early morning covered by clouds floating like a heaven. The flowers are blooming and the hills are covered with the white color of plum blossom... The dynamic atmosphere of the staff and workers here has dispelled the fatigue in each of us after we just have to travel hundreds of kilometers to reach this century's work to look at the ferocious Song Da River "tamed" by the embankment dam and Son La hydroelectricity haughtily standing the Northwestern mountains. We are here to visit the work and hear about the remarkable "achievements" of Mr. Nguyen Tang Cuong.

Started in December 2005, there have been 4/6 units of Son La hydropower plant (capacity of 2400 MW) officially generating electricity into the national grid. These KW electricity is made of Da River water mixed with sweat, tears, with sacrifices (even lives) of engineers, technicians, workers who have to suffer from extreme weather and hardships in many years to complete this key work for the country. At the same time, the 1200-ton lifting crane manufactured by Quang Trung Mechanical Enterprise also contributes to the success of the work. Many people were fortunate to see firsthand the moment of dropping the rotor into the units, all impressed by the scene that a giant machine was lowering the rotor weighing thousands of tons to be placed exactly on the "heart " of each unit. And many people were even more surprised, knowing that the crane was one of the first hydro-mechanical products produced by Quang Trung mechanic with a localization rate of up to 90%.

                                                                                      Overhead crane produced by Quang Trung Industrial Group on Son La hydroelectric dam

Leaving behind the bustling atmosphere in the city, we went up to the northwestern mountains, to Son La hydropower, where thousands of people are working hard for the future power of the country. Highway 6 in the early morning covered by clouds floating like a heaven. The flowers are blooming and the hills are covered with the white color of plum blossom... The dynamic atmosphere of the staff and workers here has dispelled the fatigue in each of us after we just have to travel hundreds of kilometers to reach this century's work to look at the ferocious Song Da River "tamed" by the embankment dam and Son La hydroelectricity haughtily standing the Northwestern mountains. We are here to visit the work and hear about the remarkable "achievements" of Mr. Nguyen Tang Cuong.

Started in December 2005, there have been 4/6 units of Son La hydropower plant (capacity of 2400 MW) officially generating electricity into the national grid. These KW electricity is made of Da River water mixed with sweat, tears, with sacrifices (even lives) of engineers, technicians, workers who have to suffer from extreme weather and hardships in many years to complete this key work for the country. At the same time, the 1200-ton lifting crane manufactured by Quang Trung Mechanical Enterprise also contributes to the success of the work. Many people were fortunate to see firsthand the moment of dropping the rotor into the units, all impressed by the scene that a giant machine was lowering the rotor weighing thousands of tons to be placed exactly on the "heart " of each unit. And many people were even more surprised, knowing that the crane was one of the first hydro-mechanical products produced by Quang Trung mechanic with a localization rate of up to 90%.

Close up of 1200 ton lifting crane - Vietnam's largest lifting equipment record

When talking with Mr. Nguyen Tang Cuong - Director of Quang Trung Mechanical Enterprise, we learned that in order to gain momentum for the research and manufacture of crane products with this record lifting capacity, previously the engineer force of this famous unit in mechanical production, has studied and manufactured a series of crane products with the lifting capacity from 500 to thousands of tons to serve almost all major industries of our country like substance, electricity, shipbuilding. These are the biggest lifting equipment in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, being localized up to 90%; these products have been given many awards and quality certificates at national and international science and technology fairs by their comparable quality, competitive prices with imported goods, saving a lot of foreign currency for the country.

                                                                                                                                  First day of rotes operation testing

In addition quality assurance, the outstanding feature of this product is that when ordering, we can directly inspect the quality and design in the process of manufacturing and being proactive in components and details when damaged occurs. Especially their costs are only 40% to 70% of imported goods, so saving a large part of foreign currency.

Because of the superiority of Quang Trung Mechanical products, especially with Son La hydropower, it has shortened the time of national grid connection for 2 years, contributed to benefit the country about 500 million USD and overcome the country's power shortage. As a private enterprise, but with the efforts of its employees, Enterprise has risen to manufacture machines with high accuracy requirements that cannot be done in the country.

                                                                                      Overhead crane produced by Quang Trung Industrial Group on Son La hydroelectric dam

Leaving behind the bustling atmosphere in the city, we went up to the northwestern mountains, to Son La hydropower, where thousands of people are working hard for the future power of the country. Highway 6 in the early morning covered by clouds floating like a heaven. The flowers are blooming and the hills are covered with the white color of plum blossom... The dynamic atmosphere of the staff and workers here has dispelled the fatigue in each of us after we just have to travel hundreds of kilometers to reach this century's work to look at the ferocious Song Da River "tamed" by the embankment dam and Son La hydroelectricity haughtily standing the Northwestern mountains. We are here to visit the work and hear about the remarkable "achievements" of Mr. Nguyen Tang Cuong.

Started in December 2005, there have been 4/6 units of Son La hydropower plant (capacity of 2400 MW) officially generating electricity into the national grid. These KW electricity is made of Da River water mixed with sweat, tears, with sacrifices (even lives) of engineers, technicians, workers who have to suffer from extreme weather and hardships in many years to complete this key work for the country. At the same time, the 1200-ton lifting crane manufactured by Quang Trung Mechanical Enterprise also contributes to the success of the work. Many people were fortunate to see firsthand the moment of dropping the rotor into the units, all impressed by the scene that a giant machine was lowering the rotor weighing thousands of tons to be placed exactly on the "heart " of each unit. And many people were even more surprised, knowing that the crane was one of the first hydro-mechanical products produced by Quang Trung mechanic with a localization rate of up to 90%.

                                                                                                Close up of 1200 ton lifting crane - Vietnam's largest lifting equipment record

When talking with Mr. Nguyen Tang Cuong - Director of Quang Trung Mechanical Enterprise, we learned that in order to gain momentum for the research and manufacture of crane products with this record lifting capacity, previously the engineer force of this famous unit in mechanical production, has studied and manufactured a series of crane products with the lifting capacity from 500 to thousands of tons to serve almost all major industries of our country like substance, electricity, shipbuilding. These are the biggest lifting equipment in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, being localized up to 90%; these products have been given many awards and quality certificates at national and international science and technology fairs by their comparable quality, competitive prices with imported goods, saving a lot of foreign currency for the country.

First day of rotes operation testing

In addition quality assurance, the outstanding feature of this product is that when ordering, we can directly inspect the quality and design in the process of manufacturing and being proactive in components and details when damaged occurs. Especially their costs are only 40% to 70% of imported goods, so saving a large part of foreign currency.

Because of the superiority of Quang Trung Mechanical products, especially with Son La hydropower, it has shortened the time of national grid connection for 2 years, contributed to benefit the country about 500 million USD and overcome the country's power shortage. As a private enterprise, but with the efforts of its employees, Enterprise has risen to manufacture machines with high accuracy requirements that cannot be done in the country.

Cranes during the construction of hydropower dam

Currently, the factory has manufactured products to serve thermal power, hydropower, car, motorbike industries, all kinds of cranes and all kinds of machine tools in oil and gas industry and maritime defense. Each year, the factory can produce about one thousand cranes, lifting equipment with load capacity up to 1200 tons, build and repair ships with load capacity up to 15,000 tons.

In the past, the Enterprise has carried out many large projects such as designing and manufacturing multi-purpose deep-water seaport system that can carry tonnage of up to hundreds of thousands of tons, loading from big to small ships in the form of transmission to make full use of the potentials and advantages of water transport with low cost of 50% compared to road transport.

Besides, mechanical high-tech zone Quang Trung Uong Bi has been initially success in inventing the power project generated from wave energy. This project is considered as one of the latest initiatives of Director Nguyen Tang Cuong, perhaps few businesses are able to do it

To spend hundreds of billions Vietnam dongs to implement the initiative to generate electricity from ocean waves like Quang Trung Mechanical Enterprise. Especially in this area in the world, the success is only counted on the fingers.

Not admitting failure, he and his staff as design engineers of the Enterprise have been stayed awake all nights to test and then failed up to seven times, but where there is a will, there is a way. Quang Trung finally successfully test the wave power generator with superior features so that one day it will be put into commerce to serve millions of coastal households in our country with its new energy sources, attractive prices and environmental protection features..

According to Mr. Cuong, to mobilize skillful and qualified engineers and officials, the Enterprise has set up a long-term investment policy for human resource. Many officials and engineers are professionally trained and are able to access with the most advanced technologies. Besides, to create a working environment that can fully generate people’s creativity, every successful products are people’s mutual joy and contribution.

Apart from development investment, the Enterprise also saves aside a significant amount of money to pay an attractive salaries and allowances depending on each person’s ability and working result.

Crane with load capacity of 1,200 tons for Son La Hydropower Construction

In order to achieve success, firstly the enterprise must have big ambition and unified will. Once beginning the works, the enterprise will make the most favorable conditions for the employees to complete. If employees have tried their best but cannot complete, there will be other people joining their hands to help. If still not, they will stay awake all nights to finally complete.

Explaining for this will, the Director shared: “because of having ambition, we have been deeply immersed into our passionate fields, and we have spent our own money to implement our ambition. I think that we have already born all the risky and failed stages; successful stage is coming close. I hope that when we successfully implement our passionate field, it will be widely applied in our countries.

With those who have chances to contact and communicate with this mechanical “witch” (some even named him crane “king”), they all said he is a modest person; he always comments himself not to have any degree or academic rank but to be abundant of passion and will in practical manufacture. It is these features that help him accumulate a significant knowledge in electricity, automation, manufacturing materials for gear module system, which has significantly contributed to the success of the Enterprise.

In the life of doing business and passionately doing scientific researches, he has been honorably, proudly and respectively awarded Ho Chi Minh Award for “Applying 5 technological scientific solutions to machining lifting equipment in Vietnam”, helping to shorten the construction progress of Son La Hydropower Plant.

“When I proposed my will to accept installing crane with load capacity of 1,200 tons for Son La Hydropower Plant, many Ministries and Departments and kept skeptical or even opposed opinions because this was a high-loaded type of crane with capacity of thousands of tons. If failing to install the crane leading to broken dams accidents, who would be the person taking responsibility for the lives of 28 millions of local people living downstream? Therefore, everyone thought that  purchasing foreign cranes was the most optimal plan. At that time, I said if we wanted to purchase foreign cranes, I was sure that China would win the bid but Chinese products were not definitely better than ours… I would like to take my Labor Hero Title to bet…” – Nguyen Tang Cuong businessman retold his time proposing the will to the Government so that the Enterprise could install lifting equipment in Son La Hydropower.

So said so done, he began to implement the construction project. Specialists and scientists are unexpected that the solution provided by Nguyen Tang Cuong businessman had shortened the construction time, helping generate power 2 years earlier than expected and saved EVN VND 5,600 billions; simultaneously benefiting the State VND tens of thousands of billions.

With a solid gait, kind-hearted face and deep voice, captain Nguyen Tang Cuong still daily transfers his passion, ambition to his employees to implement many bigger projects and constructions, contributing to the industrialization and modernization career of the country. Son La Hydropower will be completed in the end of this year; however, along with this century construction, the name Nguyen Tang Cuong with his legendary crane will always be in people’s minds.