In 2030, wind and solar power will be more cost-effective than coal. 

Many households and enterprises in Vietnam have proposed continuing the solar power purchasing price at 9.35 cent per kwh, as applied before June 30.

With limitless potential, solar power is expected to become the solution for Vietnam to ease reliance on fossil fuel. However, after four years of mass deployment, many problems have arisen, including environmental risks.

The preferential electricity purchase price of 9.35 cent per kwh expired one month ago, but the new price has not been fixed.

The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang has risen to an attractive destination for investors in renewable energy, especially wind power.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) said Vietnam will have to increase the import of electricity from Laos and China.

In the two provinces of Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan, wind and solar power plants are running at moderate level because they cannot provide electricity to the national grid.

Many power generation projects are under slow implementation and not likely to be put into operation in coming years, according to the Vietnam Energy Association (VEA).

Vietnam is forecast to face bigger power shortages after 2020 due to many power projects in the revised master power plan falling behind schedule, especially in southern provinces. 

Vietnam is set for wind energy expansion, with over a gigawatt expected to be installed by 2021. 

UK based Enterprize Energy (EE) announced it had received a licence to conduct survey for a giant wind power farm offshore Ke Ga cape in the south central province of Binh Thuan.

Representatives from ministries and agencies made clear issues of public concern, such as the fight against counterfeit and fake goods and use of renewable energy during the government’s regular press conference in Hanoi on May 31.

The central province of Ninh Thuan aims to become the renewable-energy centre of the country, with assistance from the central government's preferential policies.

VietNamNet Bridge - Foreign experts believe that developing thermal power with clean coal technology is a reasonable policy for Asian countries, including Vietnam.

Of the 15 wind power projects approved in Ninh Thuan province, only three have been implemented as promised by investors.

The electricity outages that occurred in the dry season may return and become even more serious as provincial authorities do not want to build more thermal power plants in their localities.

VietNamNet Bridge - A conventional wind turbine (> 1 MW) comprises 8,000 components, many of which Vietnam could manufacture.  

VietNamNet Bridge - Coal-fired power causes pollution, but hydropower potential and wind power have not been fully exploited in Vietnam. 

VietNamNet Bridge - With total capacity of 197 MW, the Vietnamese wind power market is still in an early stage of development.

Considered a country with great potential for solar and wind power, Vietnam continues to be one of the 12 ‘hotspots’ in the globe for coal-fired power development.