Illustrative image (Source: Ha Noi Moi)Hanoi (VNA) - Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) isseeking investors in new electricity projects, including solar power plants onreservoirs, in an effort to ensure the safe and stable operation of the country’selectricity market.
Home to nearly 7,000 reservoirs covering millions ofsquare kilometres, Vietnam has the conditions necessary to develop solar powerplants on water surfaces, with total capacity amounting to 15,000 MW.
According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment Nguyen Hoang Hiep, the Ministry has received numerous proposals forsolar power plants on reservoirs over the last three months.
The 420 MWp solar power plant in the semi-flooded areaof Dau Tieng Reservoir in southern Tay Ninh province and another with acapacity of 47.5 MWp on the Da Mi Reservoir in south-central Binh Thuanprovince are the first of their kind in the country and are operatingsuccessfully.
These projects have safely churned out commercialelectricity for the national power grid, said Nguyen Dinh Chien, DeputyDirector of the Da Nhim-Ham Thuan-Da Mi Hydropower JSC in Binh Thuan.
According to Hoang Tien Dung, Head of the Ministry ofIndustry and Trade (MoIT)’s Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority, as at May11, 6,000 MW of solar and wind power had been turned out commercially.
Some solar and wind power plants have been transferredpartially or fully to foreign investors from Thailand, the Philippines, andChina, he added.
Regulations allowing private and foreign investors to engagein electricity development without Government guarantee have made the sectormore appealing to investors.
Under its production and business plan for 2016-2020,EVN is to diversify the mobilising of capital at home and abroad andeffectively use State budget funds for site clearance in service of powerprojects.
EVN Director General Tran Dinh Nhan said the groupwill continue to coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to acceleratethe capacity release of the solar power projects, which are scheduled to becompleted in the third quarter of this year./.
VNA
