Ensure energy security
After 9 months of construction and equipment installation, Phong Dien TTC Solar Power Plant in Dien Loc commune with the total investment of nearly 1,000 billion VND has officially come into operation and will generate electricity with an output of about 60 million kWh per year. This output is approximately equal to the annual electricity consumption of some 32,628 households, it is estimated to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 20,503 tons per year. The plant is expected to expand the capacity to 29.5 MW with an area of 38.5 hectares by 2019, which will meet part of the demand for electricity in the future.
Mr. Phan Ngoc Tho, Chairman of the provincial People's Committee (in the middle, front line) visited Phong Dien TTC Solar Power Plant
Mr. Nguyen Van Thang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Loc Commune said that people are very excited when the solar power project was built and put into operation. When the project was implemented, the local authorities have always cooperated closely with the investors. There are about 17 affected households that have been compensated for forest land.
TTC Group says that the operation of TTC Phong Dien Solar Power Plant is important for the development of clean and environmentally-friendly energy sources, contributing to the power supply in the province, ensuring energy security, as well as meeting the people’s demand for electricity.
According to the Department of Planning and Investment, currently in addition to the solar power plant of TTC Group and Gia Lai Electric Joint Stock Company in Dien Loc Commune (Phong Dien) which has just been established, the provincial People’s Committee has licensed and allowed the research on project such as solar power plant Phong Dien II with a capacity of 50MW on an area of about 61ha, invested by Son Thuy Investment Corporation.
The policy allows investors to study while submitting to the Ministry of Industry and Trade the planning of projects such as Dien Mon Solar Power Plant (Thanh Nien Media Corporation and Univergy Group); Phong Hoa Solar Power Project (Thai Dat Construction & Equipment JSC); Phong Hien, Quang Thai, Quang Loi solar power projects at Phong Dien and Quang Dien districts (MTV Hanel Ltd Co.); Solar Power Project in Chan May-Lang Co (Angel Travel Service 9 Ltd Co. in cooperation with GS Engineering and Construction Co.). In addition, the provincial People's Committee also has a policy to call for investors to invest in solar power projects on the lake, at the hydropower projects in the area.
During the meeting with the projects’ investors to build solar power plants in early October 2018, Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Phan Ngoc Tho emphasized: ‘The construction of renewable power plants, towards a green industry, clean energy source in the area is a necessity. Thua Thien Hue is developing in accordance with the model of cultural and ecological heritage, landscape and environmentally-friendly city’.
The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee required that the solar power projects should complete items such as green trees and landscapes so that this place could become not only a power point but also a tourist attraction for tourists, domestically and internationally. Local authorities should coordinate with power plants to ensure safety and security during the time of power generation, at the same time, they must supervise the treatment of hazardous wastes in the course of the plant operation, aiming at the clean and green energy industry.
Sector of special investment incentives
Mr. Phan Thien Dinh, Director of the Department of Planning and Investment affirmed that the province's policy is to build Thua Thien Hue to become a first-class municipality in accordance with the model of cultural and ecological heritage, landscape and environmentally-friendly city. The investment in the construction of solar power plant projects is in line with the orientation of the provincial People's Committee, but the implementation of the project must be consistent with the planning.
Apart from the sandy areas along the lagoon, deserted coastal areas are not favorable for agricultural development, but are favorable for the development of solar power. There are also water surface areas in hydropower reservoirs and irrigation, and the water surface areas belonging to the Tam Giang - Cau Hai lagoon system, it is possible to survey and evaluate their parameters to invest in solar power plants.
According to Decision No. 11/2017 / QD-TTg dated April 11, 2017 on the mechanisms to encourage the development of solar projects in Vietnam; accordingly, the planning of solar power development includes the planning of national solar power development, provincial planning of solar power development. Planning for solar power development is a basis for investment activities in solar power development, adjusted in accordance with the research and assessment of solar power potential in each period of time.
However, up to now, the national solar power development plan has not yet been approved, hence after the national planning is approved, the province will carry out the planning of solar power development at the provincial level. The investment attraction will depend on the reality of the assessment and approval of the plan.
At present, there are many investors surveying and researching solar power projects in the province, and some investors are proposing research, but there has been neither national or provincial planning for solar power plant nor regulations. Currently, the project procedures are being carried out separately, submitted to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Prime Minister for inclusion in the list of solar power projects to be implemented. Solar power projects are put in the field of special investment incentives. Investors who invest in this sector will enjoy preferential investment policies as regulated.
Story, photo: Nguyen Khanh-Thanh Hai