Vietnams $80 Million Wind Project Begins!

Singapore-based renewable energy developer The Blue Circle and a Vietnamese partner started construction on an $80 million wind power plant in Vietnam’s south-central province of Ninh Thuan on Friday.

The Blue Circle, one of Southeast Asia’s leading wind energy developers, is building the 40-megawatt Dam Nai plant with Vietnamese firm TSV Company. Ninh Thuan is 350 kilometers (220 miles) northeast of Ho Chi Minh City.

Electricity will be sold to power monopoly Vietnam Electricity following an agreement reached in 2016, the report said.

The plant will use 16 turbines made by Gamesa, one of the largest wind turbine manufacturers in the world. With a rotor diameter of 114 meters, they will be the largest turbines ever to be installed and put into operation in Vietnam, according to TSV Chairman Do Khac Dien.

The first three turbines, with a combined capacity of 8 MW, will spin into operation in October this year, while the remaining turbines are scheduled for completion a year later.

Vietnam, which traditionally relies on hydro and coal-fired power, has been gradually shifting towards clean and low-carbon energy while trying to generate enough power to facilitate its economic growth and connect the millions of people who still lack access to the national grid.

The World Bank has identified Vietnam as one of the world’s leading nations for sustainable energy, with robust policies to support energy access, renewables and energy efficiency by 2030.

The country aims to raise power from renewable energy, mainly solar and wind energy, to 10.7 percent of the total electricity output by 2030 from the 7 percent targeted for 2020.