HANOI: Vietnam has started its first dedicated research project on combining solar power with agriculture, aiming to increase farmers’ incomes while accelerating the country’s energy transition.
The initiative, known as the agri-photovoltaic (Agri-PV) project, was officially launched on Tuesday by the Agriculture and Environment Ministry in partnership with the German Development Cooperation Agency.
It marked the first project in the agricultural sector that focuses specifically on solar energy for rural households.
Speaking at the launch, deputy director-general of the ministry’s international cooperation department Pham Ngoc Mau highlighted the project’s dual benefits.
“Integrating solar energy with farming on the same land can deliver substantial economic gains, contribute to gender equality and help farmers boost their livelihood while supporting Vietnam’s energy transition,” he said.
According to Nguyen The Hinh, deputy head of the agriculture projects management board and director of Agri-PV, Vietnam’s solar sector has experienced exponential growth.
Installed capacity increased from just 272MW in 2019 to more than 16GW by the end of 2024.
Projections suggest solar capacity will reach 22GW by 2030 and 168GW by 2050.
The Agri-PV project sets a target of deploying at least 10 pilot models for agricultural solar plants during its three-year implementation from 2025 to 2027.
These pilots will provide crucial insights into how farmers can benefit from integrating crop production with solar energy generation.
The project also aims to strengthen knowledge among policymakers and stakeholders. — Viet Nam News/ANN
