Model of Phuoc Ninh solar power plant. — Photo nangluongvietnam.vn

A new solar power plant will come into operation in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan in middle of this year, following an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract inked between Ninh Thuan Energy Industry JSC and Sharp-NSN joint venture on Monday.

The Phuoc Ninh solar power plant is expected to supply about 75 million kWh of electricity once operational, using solar panels and a 40MVA substation. Construction on the plant has been completed and it is ready for equipment to be installed so that it can open its doors in June.

Early in April 2019, the Ninh Thuan Energy Industry JSC – a member of T&T Group and the Electricity Power Trading Co (EVN EPTC) – an arm of Vietnam Electricity inked a power purchase deal for its solar power projects.

Under the deal, Ninh Thuan Energy Industry JSC will sell electricity to EVN EPTC with the price regulated in Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s April 2017 Decision on mechanisms to encourage the development of solar power projects in Viet Nam.

For Ninh Thuan, the State has also offered incentives and preferential policies to ensure its socio-economic development in 2018-23, including to facilitate the development of solar power projects.

Ninh Thuan aims to become the renewable energy centre of the country. Blessed with abundant sunshine and wind year-round, the province is home to 25 solar power projects.

The province has a high level of sunshine hours (2,467) per year and solar radiation per square metre (1,700kWh), making it ideal for solar energy projects.

Under the province’s green energy plan, by 2030 it is expected to reach a total capacity of 1,500MW in wind energy and 3,912MW in solar energy. — VNS