To accommodate the province's "green-clean-sustainable" initiative, Thailand’s Banpu Corp had proposed to convert related thermal power research to wind power, Phan Thien Dinh, the province's vice chairman, said Wednesday.

In 2016, local authorities had signed a memorandum on the research and construction of a 1,200 megawatt thermal power plant in Phong Dien District, with possible expansion to 2,000 megawats. The plant, if constructed, would possibly bring the province VND1 trillion ($43 million) a year.

With the direction to "develop sustainable industries towards a green economy" to 2030, all investments towards thermal power would, therefore, be excluded, Dinh said.

Vietnam relies heavily on hydro- and thermal power for its energy needs, with thermal energy accounting for over 48 percent of 2019 production.

Both hydro- and thermal power potential is fast depleting across Vietnam.

Meanwhile, it is estimated the country’s energy needs would grow at 8 percent a year for the next decade.