Energy

Vietnam’s first private grid-connected solar farm in Thua Thien Hue Province’s Phong Dien District is expected to help the country meet growing demand for electricity - Photo: Dominic Chavez/IFC This is the site of Vietnam’s first private grid-connected solar farm, the Phong Dien solar power plant, developed by the Gia Lai Electricity Joint Stock Company (GEC) with IFC’s support. The 35 megawatt (MW) plant generates about 60 million kilowatt hours, enough to power about 35,000 homes a year. “The sunshine strength is very good in this area,” says Nguyen Van Thien, chief engineer for the TTC Phong Dien solar power plant. “That’s why this plant was established in the central region of Vietnam. In summer the plant reaches 35 megawatts when the sun is hottest from 9am to 2pm.” The solar plant was built in just eight months and under budget, and it came at a significant time for Vietnam. The country, which has long relied heavily on … [Read more...] about How solar panels are brightening Vietnam’s energy future

The HCM City People’s Committee has announced an energy-efficiency plan for 2016 that seeks to save 2-2.5 per cent of electricity each year by installing energy-efficient equipment. The city encourages businesses to apply new modern power management systems to reduce energy use. NGƯỜI LAO ĐỘNG (Labourer) … [Read more...] about City to install energy-efficient equipment

  Shrimp farmers are looking for a model integrating solar panels with motors used to aerate their ponds. — VNS Photo Ngọc Diệp by Ngọc Diệp MEKONG DELTA — Cost and technology are the top concerns for shrimp farmers when investing in renewable energy, Trần Văn Đấu, a farmer in Cà Mau Province, said. Đấu, 59, deputy head of the Hưng Mỹ Co-operative in the province’s Cái Nước District, was one of many shrimp farmers and executives of seafood processing companies in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta who attended a recent conference in Bạc Liêu Province on the use of renewable energy in the shrimp industry. He said that the increase in electricity prices and sudden power cuts were affecting shrimp farming. "Electricity costs farmers VNĐ50-200 million (US$2,150-8,600) per hectare of pond per crop, or 10 per … [Read more...] about Mekong Delta shrimp farmers take baby steps towards renewable energy

An employee monitors pipeline of Karaha Unit I geothermal power plant owned by PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy in West Java (Photo: Antara) Jakarta (VNA) – The World Bank (WB) has approved a 150 million USD loan for Indonesia to scale up investments in geothermal energy by reducing the risks of early-stage exploration.  climate-friendly development. Geothermal energy is expected to play a significant role in reducing Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions. As a clean and renewable energy source that provides power continuously, geothermal can reduce the country’s dependence on coal-fired power and other fossil fuels. If geothermal resources can be accessed easily, costs are competitive with coal and natural gas. Indonesian Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani said the country’s geothermal sector has vast potential and its current installed geothermal power capacity is already the second largest in the world. Geothermal is environmentally sustainable and … [Read more...] about World Bank supports Indonesia’s geothermal energy development

KOICA Country Director for Vietnam Kim Jin-oh speaks at the conference (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – A conference on the development of energy efficiency projects took place in Ho Chi Minh City on October 1. The event was part of the project “Promoting Investment Market for Energy Efficiency in Industrial Sector in Vietnam”, which is sponsored by Republic of Korea (RoK). It is launched by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development Department under Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade. Since November 2017, the project has reaped fruitful results and provided direct technical assistance to energy service providers and Vietnamese officials in energy efficiency. After evaluating energy-saving technologies in more than 2,400 businesses, it has chosen 10 firms which will conduct energy accounting under the supervision of RoK energy experts. KOICA Country Director for Vietnam Kim Jin-oh said the … [Read more...] about RoK experts assist energy efficiency projects in Vietnam