BayWa r.e. wind farms to fuel Vietnam’s renewables drive

Global renewable energy developer BayWa r.e. has kick-started preparation to build three wind power projects in Vietnam, Southeast Asia’s leader in developing renewables.

BREWPV, the company’s Vietnam unit, is taking the necessary steps for the construction of 55-megawatt Cao Loc, 30 MW Van Quan, and 155 MW Loc Binh wind farms in the northern province of Lang Son.

Provincial mayor Ho Tien Thieu had a working session with Daniel Gaefke, CEO of BayWa r.e. Asia-Pacific, and BREWPV executives on Wednesday in the province. Gaefke said his corporation has taken preparatory steps as ruled, and measured wind speeds from last June to this June.

The 12-month average speeds measured from the three sites are 6.6 meters per second, 5.9 mps, and 6.4 mps, all lower than expected but feasible for project development, according to the CEO.

The Lang Son chairman told Gaefke that his administration had proposed the Ministry of Industry and Trade add the three projects to the National Power Development Plan. Lang Son has also allowed BayWa r.e. to install more wind measuring devices to facilitate thorough research.

BayWa r.e. is part of Germany-based BayWa Group, a family of global businesses in trading, logistics, agriculture, energy, and building materials.

Vietnam is seeking to shift to cleaner energy with a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Economist in a June article wrote that the country is leading the transition to clean energy in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam has quadrupled its wind and solar power capacity since 2019. In the four years to 2021, the portion of electricity generated by solar in Vietnam increased from practically nothing to nearly 11%, a faster rate than almost anywhere else in the world, it said.