Central Vietnam province Gia Lai okays 3 large-scale wind power projects

Gia Lai province has granted in-principle approvals to three large-scale wind power projects with total registered capital mounting to VND19.35 trillion ($734.9 million).

The south-central coastal province of Binh Dinh, which boasts great potential for wind power development, and the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai were merged in July to form the new Gia Lai.

The projects include the 146MW Vinh Thuan wind power plant, the 160MW Van Canh 1 wind power plant, and the 180MW Van Canh 2 wind power plant.

According to the provincial People’s Committee, the three projects will be developed upon investor selection via bidding. Each project will operate for 50 years and is expected to be completed within 36 months.

The Vinh Thuan plant will cover over 50 hectares in Vinh Quang commune (formerly Vinh Thuan commune, Vinh Thanh district, Binh Dinh province). The project has a designed capacity of 143 MW, producing an estimated 239.9 million kWh annually, and will connect to the 110 kV national power grid.

Its total investment is VND4.68 trillion ($177.74 million), including VND4.65 trillion for construction costs and the remainder allocated for land compensation and resettlement.

The Van Canh 2 plant will occupy over 62 ha in Canh Lien and Van Canh communes. It will have a capacity of 180 MW, generating about 632.2 million kWh per year, and will connect to the 220 kV grid.

The project’s total investment exceeds VND7.77 trillion ($295 million), with VND7.74 trillion for implementation and VND27 billion for land compensation and resettlement.

Investor selection is scheduled for Q2/2026, with construction starting in Q2/2026, completion expected in Q3/2028, and commercial operation in Q4/2028.

Meanwhile, the Van Canh 1 plant will cover 56 hectares in Canh Lien Commune, with a designed capacity of 160 MW and an investment of VND6.9 trillion ($262 million).

The Gia Lai People’s Committee has required investors to ensure that all equipment used in the three projects has verified origins and meets technical and safety standards as assessed by competent authorities.

Developers must also survey forest conditions to determine the affected forest area and complete procedures to convert land-use purposes per regulations.

These three wind power projects, along with the Hon Trau wind power plant (Phase 1) (49.22 ha, 750 MW), are among 22 land-use projects approved by the provincial People’s Council in May 2025 for investor selection through bidding.

All the projects are included in the adjusted National Power Development Plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050 (PDP VIII).

The Van Canh 1 and Van Canh 2 projects were proposed by Nam Hai Technology Co., Ltd., which installed wind-measurement towers in August 2024. Similarly, the Vinh Thuan plant was proposed by WPD Vietnam, a subsidiary of Germany’s WPD Group, which began collecting wind data in July 2024.

At the Gia Lai Investment Promotion Conference 2025 in August, provincial authorities signed an MoU on collaboration with VinEnergo JSC, a subsidiary of Vietnam’s leading private conglomerate Vingroup, to develop renewable energy across Gia Lai with a total capacity of 20 GW and an estimated investment of $24 billion by 2035.

Previously, Singapore-headquartered Nexif Ratch Energy SE Asia Co., Ltd. had been selected as the investor for the VND5.7 trillion ($216.3 million) Van Canh Binh Dinh wind power plant project in the province.

The plant will have a designed capacity of 143 MW, generating approximately 391.8 million kWh of electricity per year. It is expected to be fully completed within 36 months from the date the investor is officially approved.