Vietnam allocates sea areas to state giants for offshore wind surveys

Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has allocated 63,811 hectares of sea area off Hai Phong city and Lam Dong province to state-owned utilities Vietnam Electricity (EVN) and Petrovietnam (PVN) to survey offshore wind development.

The two groups will be exempt from sea-use fees, with surveys to be carried out over 36 months, according to decisions by Minister Tran Duc Thang.

Accordingly, EVN has been allocated 24,000 hectares of sea area off the Long Chau archipelago and Bach Long Vi Island (Hai Phong) to conduct surveys for the Bac Bo 1.3 and Bac Bo 1.4 offshore wind projects.

Meanwhile, more than 39,811 hectares off Lam Dong province have been assigned to PVN to survey the Nam Trung Bo 1 offshore wind project.

The two offshore areas have an average water depth of up to 140 meters, with structures and equipment rising as much as 40 meters above sea level.

The ministry asked EVN and PVN not to transfer, lease, mortgage or contribute capital using the sea-use rights. The two groups must fully comply with regulations on national defense, security and marine environmental protection.

“In the event of environmental pollution or coastal erosion, activities in the allocated sea areas must be halted immediately until remediation is completed,” the ministry said.

The ministry also noted that if cultural heritage is discovered during surveys, the groups must notify local authorities and relevant agencies for handling in accordance with regulations.

Vietnam currently has no offshore wind power projects. In late February 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed pushing offshore wind development beyond 2030, citing high upfront costs estimated at $60 billion to $70 billion and the absence of any projects approved for investment by that time.

The government, however, instructed the ministry not to delay the rollout of such projects.

Under the revised National Power Development Plan VIII, Vietnam aims to have 6,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030, rising to 17,500 megawatts by 2035. Capacity is projected to reach 113,000 to 139,000 megawatts by 2050.