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Southeast Asia's Largest Solar Farm Begins Operations in...

Southeast Asia's Largest Solar Farm Begins Operations in...
Saigoneer © Dau Tieng Solar Power Complex

A 420 MW solar power project, the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia, has officially started production in Tay Ninh.

The inauguration of the Dau Tieng Solar Power Complex, a joint venture between Vietnamese construction firm Xuan Cau and Thai conglomerate B.Grimm, took place Saturday in Tan Chau District, Tay Ninh Province, around 100 km (62 miles) from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam News Express reported. 

The $391 million complex covers 540 hectares within the semi-submerged land at Dau Tieng Lake, the largest manmade lake in the country.

Construction on the complex started in June last year and was completed in about 10 months.

It is expected to provide Vietnam’s national electricity grid with about 688 million kWh per year, equivalent to the consumption of nearly 320,000 households. The developers believe the solar power plant can meet electricity demand for all of Tay Ninh, while also supplying some power for other parts of southern Vietnam.

A new solar power complex in Tay Ninh Province started operations on September 7, 2019, considered the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia. Image: VnExpress/Quynh Tran.
A new solar power complex in Tay Ninh Province started operations on September 7, 2019, considered the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia. Image: VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

Nguyen Van Binh, head of the Central Economic Commission, said at the inauguration ceremony that the plant would help turn Tay Ninh into one of the country's "capitals" of solar power. 

"It will contribute to the valuable resources of green and clean energy, while helping ensure national energy security and boosting local socio-economic development," he said.

According to a report by Solarplaza, in 2018, Vietnam achieved almost 99% electrification; however, energy demand is expected to grow by 10% annually over the next five years, meaning overall capacity will need to double. The development of renewable energy sources is therefore necessary to ensure energy security and meet the growing power demand.

Solar power currently accounts for 0.01 percent of the country's total power output, but the government plans to increase the ratio to 3.3 percent by 2030 and 20 percent by 2050.

Vietnam now depends largely on hydropower and thermal power plants for its electricity demands

 

Indah Gilang Pusparani

Indah is a researcher at Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Daerah Kota Cirebon (Regional Development Planning and Research Agency of Cirebon Municipality). She covers More international relations, tourism, and startups in Southeast Asia region and beyond. Indah graduated from MSc Development Administration and Planning from University College London, United Kingdom in 2015. She finished bachelor degree from International Relations from University of Indonesia in 2014, with two exchange programs in Political Science at National University of Singapore and New Media in Journalism at Ball State University, USA. She was awarded Diplomacy Award at Harvard World Model United Nations and named as Indonesian Gifted Researcher by Australian National University. She is Researcher at Regional Planning Board in Cirebon, West Java. She previously worked as Editor in Bening Communication, the Commonwealth Parliament Association UK, and diplomacy consulting firm Best Delegate LLC in USA. Less
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