Vietnam’s MOIT to Hold The First Two Pilot Auctions Dedicated to Floating PV Projects
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is helping the Vietnamese government introduce an auction scheme for solar project development which was announced in early December. The lender, which supports floating PV development has issued a tender to seek consultants to help Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) hold the first two pilot auctions, which will be devoted to floating PV. The first auction planned for this year is intended for selecting a company for floating PV array with a generation capacity of 50-100 MW. The second auction has been scheduled for 2021 for 300 MW floating solar facility likely to be deployed at the Hàm Thuận Hydroelectric Power Complex, a cascade of two hydro power stations in the Hàm Thuận Bắc district of central Vietnam.
Vietnam Government Introduces Auction System for Integration of Solar Power into National Electricity Structure
Vietnam’s demand for electricity has been the second-largest in Southeast Asia since 2015, and is expected to remain the same in 2020. However, only 0.5 percent of excess capacity in the electric system is currently available to meet the enormous future demand. To tackle the imminent power shortage, the government has introduced an auction system to promote the integration of solar power into the national electricity structure. The government has planned for two types of auction i.e. auction among developers to sell electricity to a local distributor and auction among investors to start their projects on acquired land.
India’s Plans to Set Up A Global Electricity Grid to Link Countries in Southeast Asia
India’s plans to set up a global electricity grid that may initially aim to link countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam with the sub-continent as part of the developing energy security architecture. The underlying plans include setting up of an under-sea link to connect with Oman in the West. However, the plan hasn’t picked up traction in the backdrop of India-headquartered International Solar Alliance’s (ISA’s) drive to co-opt nations from Southeast Asia facing issues with certain nations holding back because of New Delhi’s decision to not join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade deal.
Alectris Inks MoU with Artelia Vietnam to deliver O&M Services to Solar Assets in Vietnam
Alectris signs a MoU with Artelia Vietnam,a multi-disciplinary consultancy, to jointly deliver operation and maintenance services (O&M) to solar assets throughout Vietnam. The O&M services include technical and engineering support, plant monitoring and maintenance, preventative and corrective maintenance and the use of continuous improvement methodology. These services will be supported by the renewable energy ERP software of Alectris, ACTIS, to achieve maximum solar performance by optimizing operations, consolidating reporting and reducing costs.
Vietnam’s New Draft Decision On Solar Power
On 31 December 2019, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam issued Proposal to the Prime Minister to submit a new draft Decision on the mechanism for developing solar power projects in Vietnam. The proposal lists potentially eligible solar farm projects for new FiT while leaving alternative tariff mechanisms unresolved and pending for the other projects currently under development. Moreover, for rooftop solar power systems, the New Draft tightens the deadline for eligibility for the proposed new FiT of 8.38 US cent per kWh from 31 December 2021 to 31 December 2020.
SE Asian Nations Reluctant On Joining the India-based solar alliance
The India-headquartered International Solar Alliance’s (ISA’s) drive to co-opt nations from Southeast Asia is facing issues with certain nations holding reluctance, in light of New Delhi’s decision to not join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade deal, said two individuals aware of the development. Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, and Laos are yet to turn into a signatory of the ISA, the first treaty-based international government association headquartered in India. Almost 84 nations have signed the framework ISA arrangement. Of these 63 have sanctioned it. RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) —Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam—and its six FTA partners. India chose not to join RCEP, with the government being under intense pressure from domestic industry, farmers and political parties over apprehensions that joining would lead to dumping of Chinese goods that could wipe out small scale industries.
