HCMC aims to add 6,000MW offshore wind farm to national power plan

Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Industry and Trade has proposed adding the 6,000 MW Can Gio offshore wind power project to the National Power Development Plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050 (PDP VIII).

Under the department's proposal to the municipal People's Committee, the 325,123-hectare project has an estimated investment of VND313.37 trillion ($13.31 billion), including site clearance.

It is set to cover eight hectares of land in Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park, Nha Be district, and connect to the national 500kV power grid system via the Da Phuoc electricity station.

The proposed investor is a joint venture between Vietnam’s Asia Petroleum Energy Corporation (Asiapetro) and Japanese firms Tokyo Gas Company Limited and Shizen Energy Group.

The project’s capacity is scheduled to reach 2,000 MW in the first phase from 2031-2035, a further 1,000 MW in the second phase in 2035 for hydrogen production, 2,000 MW in the third phase for 2036-2040 for electricity generation, and 1,000 MW in the fourth phase for hydrogen production. The annual energy output could reach 12.3 million MWh from 2031-2035, and 24.5 million MWh in 2036-2040.

Can Gio district authorities have backed the project. However, state utility Vietnam Electricity's (EVN) HCMC unit (EVN HCMC) has called for more consultations related to defense-security and forest protection. The municipal Department of Planning and Investment has also suggested more research into the impacts on the mangrove forests.

HCMC’s electricity consumption grew 11.03% year-on-year to 27.09 billion kWh in 2022 as the city’s economic growth rose by 9%, according to EVN HCMC.

PDP VIII, is expected to open up new opportunities for offshore wind power development. By 2030, the country will maximize the technical potential of offshore wind power, at about 600,000 MW. Offshore wind power serving domestic demand will reach about 6,000 MW by 2030, accounting for 4% of the country's total power generation capacity. The figure is expected to increase to 70,000-91,500 MW by 2050, or 14-16% of the total.

However, the PDP VIII does not include provisions for offshore wind power projects.

Can Gio is the only coastal district in HCMC. The city has proposed the construction of a $6 billion international container port in Can Gio, which would have a capacity three times higher than the city's Cat Lai port, now the country's largest.

The port project, with 7.2 kilometers of wharf, is set to receive ships of up to 250,000 DWT (equivalent to 24,000 TEUs,) and feeder ships of 10,000 to 65,000 DWT. The proposed site covers about 570 hectares. The port’s design capacity is 10-15 million TEUs, of which about 80% will be used for international transshipment goods, and the remainder for imports and exports.