Many experts agree that wind power is the energy for future
Many experts in Vietnam and overseas attended the conference about wind power held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Embassy of Denmark, the Embassy of Germany and the German International Co-operation Agency (GIZ) on June 7.
Wind power is the world's fastest-growing energy source in the past 15 years. More and more countries are developing wind powers because of its socio-economic benefits and positive environmental impacts on reducing greenhouse gas and other air pollutant emissions. Wind power is the answer when Vietnam needs an affordable and clean energy.
Bui Vinh Thang, Business Developer at Mainstream Renewable Power Ltd, said, "We have to import a large amount of coal, and hydropower exploitation is reaching its limits. Solar and wind power are renewable so in the future, solar and wind power will be much cheaper than coal power."
The banks in many countries have stopped providing loans to coal power projects while renewable energies are encouraged.
Steve Sawyer, general secretary of Global Wind Energy Council, said they wanted to help Vietnam enjoy the benefits of wind power in boosting economic development, ensuring energy security, generating jobs and developing modern technologies.
According to the experts, even though Vietnam already has its national energy policy framework, it needs to work more to improve the effectiveness and transparency of various regulations. Once the legal problems are dealt with, the wind power sector will experience rapid growth and attract international investors to Vietnam.
The Global Wind Energy Council advised Vietnam to complete the power purchase agreements' terms, clarify and simplify project approval processes, build a grid development plan and establish a national wind power association.
Thang said currently, the investment risks in Vietnam is high. For example, the investors want a 20-year operation plan but it is stated in the power purchase agreements that EVN can cancel the contract anytime and only need to compensate for the revenue earned in one year.
Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy head of the Electricity and Renewable Energy Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said Vietnam had issued many policies to encourage renewable energy development such as solar, wind and biomass energy to replace the fossil fuel. However, the growth is slow as only seven wind power projects with total capacity of 190 MW had been put into operation.
Thanh went on to say that the Ministry of Industry and Trade wanted to gather opinions from both firms and experts about their experiences in power development with new technology and in different terrains and climate in order to build Vietnam Power Development Plan to 2030 with a view to 2050.