MOU finalized to grow offshore wind power in Vietnam

With the Government of Vietnam recently approving Power Development Plan 8, offshore wind power development is considered one of the workable options for Vietnam’s energy transition. 

The MOU is expected to promote the strengths of Vietnam’s leading units in consulting, design, construction, and installation combined with the capacity and experience of the world's leading consulting unit in developing offshore wind power design capacity. 

DNV, an independent assurance and risk management provider, met with Institute of Energy Vietnam (IE) and PTSC Mechanical and Construction Company (PTSC M&C) in Hanoi in April to discuss their partnership and the MOU that was signed in December. 

“Our meeting stamped months of discussion and gave a clear path to cooperate on the energy transition and Vietnam’s journey to become a world leader in wind power,” said Hagsung Kim, Regional Manager, Asia, Digital Solutions at DNV. 

“DNV’s expertise will mitigate any risks and shorten the development period of offshore wind projects. This MOU is the start of an important collaboration, where we will be able to share our knowledge and support the energy transition in Vietnam,” said Kim. 

Vietnam's wind power market has grown dramatically in recent years as it works to drive down greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. It ranked fourth worldwide in 2021 for added wind capacity and currently has a total capacity of 4.1 GW, made up of onshore and near-shore assets. 

While Vietnam does not currently have any active offshore wind power assets, the draft National Power Development Plan VIII sets a target of 7 GW of offshore wind power development by 2030. 

"Located in the strong and consistent Asian monsoon zone with more than 3,200km of coastline, Vietnam has tremendous potential for offshore wind power development,” said Dr. Sc. Tran Ky Phuc, General Director at the Institute of Energy. 

“As well as lowering greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring energy security, our emerging offshore wind power industry has substantial prospects for socioeconomic development, can form supply chains, accelerate the development of supporting industries, and provide jobs for local employees," said Dr. Sc. Tran Ky Phuc. 

PTSC Mechanical and Construction Company is a leading engineering, procurement, construction and installation contractor in Vietnam. It has experience in oil and gas markets and is also a consortium member for the Hai Long 2 and Hai Long 3 offshore wind projects in Taiwan. 

"We hope that the cooperation among the Energy Institute, PTSC M&C, and DNV will help develop domestic design capabilities and meet the demands of offshore wind projects in Vietnam in the future,” said Dr Nguyen Anh Dung, Deputy Director at PTSC M&C. 

DNV software products included for use in the MOU include Sesam for offshore wind turbine foundation design and WindFarmer to help design wind farms and analyze energy production and cost-benefit. 

DNV has worked with wind power industries in many countries including China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan. It is now also focusing on Vietnam and Australia as areas with high potential for wind energy, including fixed and floating offshore structures. 

Kenneth Vareide, CEO of Digital Solutions at DNV, Dr. Sc. Tran Ky Phuc and Dr Nguyen Anh Dung all attended the meeting in Hanoi.