Ninh Thuan looks to become national renewable energy centre

Ninh Thuan (VNA) - The south-central province of Ninh Thuan needs to devise a plan to become a renewable energy centre in line with national power planning, a workshop on October 12 heard.

This was one solution proposed by a group of researchers from the Institute of Energy Science at the workshop, which sought to identify mechanisms and policies to turn Ninh Thuan into a national renewable energy centre.

The researchers also suggested mechanisms relating to the electricity network and investment attraction in the centre. 

Investors in attendance urged the province to propose the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Industry and Trade instruct the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) to invest in transmission lines as planned, extend electricity price incentives, help with site clearance for renewable energy projects, and pay attention to human resources training. 

According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Van Hau, developing Ninh Thuan into a renewable energy centre requires a set of criteria that would serve as a foundation for preparing proposals on mechanisms and policies for submission to the PM. 

It was reported that since 2018, Ninh Thuan has installed and put into operation 25 wind and solar power projects with a combined capacity of 1,561 MW, compared with the national figure of 6,025 MW. 

It now houses 1,607 rooftop solar systems with a total capacity of about 84,432 kWp. Some 37 renewable energy projects with an accumulative capacity of over 2,473 MW are scheduled to be put into place in the province later this year. 

Ninh Thuan has, to date, attracted 50 solar power projects with a combined capacity of 3,120 MW and total investment of nearly 76.1 trillion VND (3.28 billion USD), along with 20 wind power projects with 1,510 MW and 36.18 trillion VND. 

Total capacity in Ninh Thuan is projected to reach 13,717 MW by 2030, including 8,442 MW of solar power, or 42 percent of the national figure. 

The province has promptly coordinated with the EVN and private companies in building and upgrading transmission lines which are expected to sustain the entire capacity of the renewable energy projects at the end of this year./.