The Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID) hosted an online conference in Hanoi on April 11 on the second phase of the feed-in-tariff (FIT 2) and policies for the development of solar power in Vietnam after 2020.

Illustrative photo. (Source: VNA)

The event aimed to discuss the significance of designated incentives for the growth of solar power in Vietnam from the perspective of stakeholders and chalk out the pros and cons of the Prime Minister’s Decision No.13/2020/QD-TTg on the mechanism for encouragement of the industry in the country, according to GreenID Director Nguy Thi Khanh.

Decision No.13/2020/QD-TTg was issued last week to replace the Decision No. 11/2017/QD-TTg dated 11 April 2017 which expired on June 30 last year. The new decision will be effective from May 22 this year and only valid for six months.

Hereby, recommendations would be made for the growth of the solar power industry to match its potential and values it can contribute to the society after 2020, she added.

Over the last two years since Decision 11/2017/QD-TTg was launched, Vietnam has been seeing a boom in solar power, making it a leader in Southeast Asia’s solar photovoltaic (PV) market. Data shows that as of the end of last June, the country’s cumulative solar PV installation reached nearly 4.464 MW.

According to the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), rooftop solar PV projects in the country have generated a total of 25.459 MW by the end of February 2020.

Participants voiced concerns over Decision No.13/2020/QD-TTg’s period of validity which might not be enough to make changes and support the development of the domestic solar power sector, particularly against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic which is ravaging globally and taking heavy toll on most of enterprises and workers.

Some proposed ways to extend the decision’s validity of support policies for rooftop solar PV projects and its effective should be further discussed for the recommendations to be sent to relevant authorities as soon as possible.