Vietnam to Rely on Wind Power for Sustained Growth

Experts in Vietnam have revealed that economic growth would be retarded, if the country persists in using hydro and thermal power and does not develop its renewable energy power sources.

According to Viet Nam Energy Consultancy Center’s Director, Quoc Tru, the nation had an extensive network of hydropower resources and that many of the nation’s rivers were completely utilized for obtaining hydropower. Further, the thermal plants require coal, which has to be imported, while the Oil and Gas fired electricity generated is also inadequate. He mentioned that if the first nuclear power project was constructed as per schedule it would begin operating only by 2020.

Quoting figures from a World Bank Survey, Quoc Tru, revealed that the country had a wind power potential of 513.360 MW, which would be ten times more than the hydropower capacity predicted for 2020. According to him, if Vietnam was to continue growing the wind power potential should be exploited.

Currently many off-grid wind power projects have been built mostly small scale with a capacity of 20 kW as stated by the of Power Engineering Consulting JSC 3’s Nguyen Hoang Dung. 13 wind power farms with a combined capacity of 277 MW were located in the Central Ninh Thuan Province wherein four have already been issued the requisite licenses. 12 projects are still in the planning stage to be located in the Central Binh Thuan Province with a total capacity of 1541 MW. Some more projects are being planned in the coastal areas of the South and developing at varied rates with a combined capacity of 3837 MW.