Viet Nam’s energy solutions blowing in the wind

HCM CITY— Wind power is the most effective way to light up remote areas of Viet Nam without access to the national grid, a conference in HCM City was told earlier this week.

The two-day event was organised to come up with ways to utilise wind power as a cheap renewable energy source in rural parts of the country.

Representatives from the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment (MoSTE) met with power company executives and foreign experts to discuss the technical and economical issues surrounding the development of wind power.

The conference was told that a combination of wind turbines and diesel generation is the most suitable system for the rural areas in the country.

The delegates were also given opportunities to discuss suitable locations for wind-diesel operations in Viet Nam.

According to MoSTE’s Bui Manh Hai about 70 per cent of Viet Nam’s population live in the countryside where there is a lack of electricity.

"To boost social-economic development in these areas it is necessary to develop new electricity networks. Wind and wind diesel power stations could be useful in areas beyond the reach of the national grid," Hai said.

"Utilising wind power will help conserve non-renewable power resources while at the same time promote environmental protection."

With financial assistance from domestic and foreign organisations, hundreds of pilot wind power projects have been developed in the southern region in recent years.

The Singapore based Regional Institute of Environmental Technology (RIET) and the European Union plan to fund further feasibility studies about wind diesel power plants in Southeast Asian countries including Viet Nam in the near future.

Local organisations and groups can approach RIET for information about technical and grant assistance by visiting the organisation’s website: http://www.riet.org/. —VNS

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