The near-shore wind farm, funded by the EU, is in Trà Vinh Province.
HANOI: The European Union (EU) continues to solidify its position as a key partner in Vietnam’s transition to renewable energy (RE), with recent collaboration efforts bringing promising developments to the forefront, particularly in Can Tho City and Tra Vinh Province.
These regions represent the potential for sustainable energy growth, supported by EU-backed initiatives under the Vietnam-EU Sustainable Energy Transition Programme (SETP).
Delegations from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the EU, led by Ambassador Julien Guerrier, met with local officials on Dec 12-13, 2024, to assess progress in energy transition projects.
In Can Tho, efforts have already provided electricity to over 99.97% of households, with rural electrification projects, such as the EU-funded 2018-2020 rural grid expansion, delivering energy access to over 1,400 households.
Industry and Trade Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Long praised these efforts.
“The EU’s support has not only improved electricity access in rural areas, but has also laid a foundation for sustainable economic growth.
“Electrification empowers communities and drives local development,” he said.
Tra Vinh Province has also made significant strides. Over the past decade, it has connected more than 40,000 households to the national grid through investments exceeding VND700bil.
As of 2024, the province’s RE capacity stands at 505MW, with several projects under development to increase this capacity further.
Ambassador Guerrier emphasised Vietnam’s geographic advantages, particularly in wind and solar energy.
“The geography of Vietnam is a very favourable environment to develop such wind farms near shore and also offshore,” Guerrier told Viet Nam News during a site visit in Tra Vinh Province.
“There is a very large continental shelf and very strong winds, so there is a huge potential to produce electricity here not only for the needs of Vietnam, but also for the needs of surrounding countries in South-East Asia.” — Viet Nam News/ANN
