JavaScript is off. Please enable to view full site.

Work starts on $280mn wind farm in Vietnam’s Central Highlands

Work starts on $280mn wind farm in Vietnam’s Central Highlands

Saturday, March 07, 2015, 17:24 GMT+7

A Vietnamese wind power company on Friday broke ground on a wind farm in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, promising to supply green power to hundreds of thousands of local residents.

>> An audio version of the story is available here

Joining HBRE Co. Ltd. in the groundbreaking ceremony were representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Dak Lak administration.

The Tay Nguyen Wind Farm, located in Ea H’leo District, has a total investment of VND6 trillion (US$279.62 million) and a design capacity of 120 MW.

The facility is capable of producing 450 million kWh of electricity a year, enough to serve 200,000 households, according to the developer.

The first phase of the project will see the construction of a 28MW plant, which will cost VND1.3 trillion.

The wind power generated from the farm will be added to the national grid in early 2016.

In September 2014, General Electric Co and HBRE signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in developing the Tay Nguyen Wind Farm, in which the U.S. industrial giant will provide technology and turbines for the project.

Ea H'Leo District, where the wind farm is located, has high potential for wind energy. The locality has an average wind speed of 7.6 meters per second, according to GE.

The Central Highlands accounts for around 25 percent of the total wind farm capacity of Vietnam, according to Pham Trong Thuc, head of the renewable department under the industry ministry.

Dak Lak and its neighboring province of Gia Lai have a collective capacity of 1,350MW, Thuc said.

“Vietnam is now home to 50 wind power projects with a total design capacity of 4,800MW,” he said.

“Two of the projects are producing power with a capacity of 46MW and this is the third such project to break ground.”

Y Dham ENuol, deputy chairman of Dak Lak, said the construction of a wind power plant is “a good sign” for the province in terms of renewable energy, at a time when its resources to develop hydropower are running out.

“We have little potential left for hydropower, and this could cause negative impacts,” he said.

The HBRE project will also help generate jobs for locals when it is commissioned, the official added.

“The wind farm will help stabilize the national power grid and create a new destination to attract tourists, which will boost the provincial tourism industry,” he said.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

TUOI TRE NEWS

Read more

;

Photos

VIDEOS

‘Taste of Australia’ gala dinner held in Ho Chi Minh City after 2-year hiatus

Taste of Australia Gala Reception has returned to the Park Hyatt Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Vietnamese woman gives unconditional love to hundreds of adopted children

Despite her own immense hardship, she has taken in and cared for hundreds of orphans over the past three decades.

Vietnam’s Mekong Delta celebrates spring with ‘hat boi’ performances

The art form is so popular that it attracts people from all ages in the Mekong Delta

Vietnamese youngster travels back in time with clay miniatures

Each work is a scene caught by Dung and kept in his memories through his journeys across Vietnam

Latest news