The Government has approved a zoning plan worth 3.7 million euros (US$4.8 million) for wind power development in Vietnam, with 3.6 million euros of the amount to be granted by the German government.

The four-year project will be initiated this year to support technological development and exploitation of wind power potential in Vietnam, build a relevant database, zone areas for wind farms, and improve capacities of administering agencies in managing wind power investments.

The country now has three operational wind farms, including the first phase of Binh Thanh project with an annual generation output of 30 MW invested by Vietnam Renewable Energy One Member Company Limited in the south-central province of Binh Thuan.

The other two are a 6-MW project invested by PetroVietnam Power Corporation (PV Power) on Phu Quy Island off mainland Binh Thuan Province and the first phase of Bac Lieu project with output of 16 MW, developed by Cong Ly Construction-Trade-Tourism Ltd. in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu.

Currently, Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) pays 7.8 U.S. cents per kWh generated by onshore wind farms and 9.8 U.S. cents per kWh by offshore projects.

Total output of all operational wind power projects is only 52 MW but will increase sharply in the years to come.

According to a national zoning plan for renewable energy development approved by the Government, Vietnam looks to develop 1,000 MW of wind power by 2020 and scale it up to 6,200 MW by 2030, said Pham Trong Thuc, head of the New and Renewable Energy Division under the General Department of Energy.

In addition to the three operational wind farms, investors have registered to carry out 45 other projects with combined generation output of 4,822 MW, according to the General Department of Energy under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Source: SGT/VNN