Proposal Made for Offshore Wind Power Project in Ho Chi Minh City

The Department of Industry and Trade in Ho Chi Minh City has proposed a wind power project in the remote Can Gio district. The project, located on the coast, has the potential to generate up to 6,000 MW of electricity for the national grid, with a cost of VND400 trillion ($16.9 billion) and a projected start date of 2030.

A Japanese-Vietnamese joint venture will undertake the project, which will cover 325,000 hectares of water off Can Gio District and eight hectares of space at the Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park in rural Nha Be District. The department collected opinions from related agencies, including Can Gio authorities and the Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation, before recommending the project to the city government.

However, the use of 325,000 hectares of water surface will have significant impacts on cargo ships, fishing activities, and the environment, especially the mangrove forests of Can Gio. Therefore, the project requires careful assessment. Ho Chi Minh City does not have its own source of power and has relied on the Phu My Thermal Power Company in the neighboring province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau. The city consumes 25 billion MW of electricity, or 10% of the country’s total consumption, every year. The National Power Development Plan aims to increase the share of renewable energy in Vietnam’s power mix to 30.9-39.2% by 2030 and 67.5-71.5% by 2050.

The government estimates that offshore wind power for new energy production should reach about 15,000 MW by 2035 and around 240,000 MW by 2050. Rooftop solar power development has no limit on capacity until 2025, provided that prices are reasonable and the existing transmission network is not overloaded in areas where power shortage is likely to occur.