Major issues regarding wind energy development in Vietnam are being discussed at the second Vietnam Wind Power Conference that opened in Hanoi on June 11.

The two-day event is jointly held by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ) and the Danish Embassy in Vietnam. 

It includes a workshop on "Accelerating Wind Project Financing in Vietnam", a half-day offshore wind workshop and a full-day Vietnam wind power conference.

Participants will share their viewpoints and experience to help Vietnam complete its goal of building a greener future, Liming Qiao, GWEC’s Asia Director, said in her opening remarks. 

Naveen Ballachandran, GWEC’s Special Advisor, said the Vietnamese Government has set a target for wind development at 800 MW by 2020. Vietnam also aims to produce 10.7 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030. 

Jootst Siteur, from the USAID Clean Power Asia, suggested that potential risks, including those relating to licences, prices and capacity building, should be taken into account while developing wind energy in Vietnam. 

Alastair Dutton, head of GWEC’s Offshore Wind Taskforce, pointed out difficulties and risks facing investors of offshore wind power plants in particular and those investing in wind energy in general. 

Ta Dinh Thi, head of the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands under the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said wind power projects must be included in the national electricity planning scheme. 

Of note, offshore wind power projects must match maritime planning schemes, he said, noting that his agency needs technical and financial support to review and evaluate Vietnam’s offshore wind energy potential.