The group breaking ceremony of BIM 1 solar power project in Ninh Thuan Province on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Cong Thu
Construction of a VND800 billion (US$35.2 million) solar power project in Thuan Nam District’s Phuoc Minh Commune of Ninh Thuan Province commenced on Tuesday.
The project is a cooperation between BIM Group and AC Energy, a subsidiary of Philippines’ Ayala Group.
The BIM 1 solar power project is built on an area of 35ha, with as many as 90,000 solar panels planned to be installed to generate an annual electricity output of 50 million kWh.
The solar plant will be officially connected to the national grid by the third quarter of this year.
The plant is being constructed by Conergy Asia & ME, one of the region’s largest solar energy companies, with 20 years of experience in installing more than 300 solar power plants in Europe, the United States, Middle East and Asia.
BIM Group plans to develop the largest clean energy farm of Viet Nam in Ninh Thuan Province, with a total capacity of 300MW by the first quarter of 2019.
In the long term, the group targets to develop at least 1,000MW clean energy by 2025.
BIM Group’s chairman Doan Quoc Viet said: “We believe the development of solar power will contribute to energy security, reducing pollution as well as minimising climate change and bringing economic benefits.”
CEO of AC Energy Eric Francia said the group had a keen interest in rapid development of the energy sector in Việt Nam and becoming one of pioneering investors in renewable energy development in the country.
Ninh Thuận Province is known to receive large amount of solar radiation, with an average number of more than 2,830 sunny hours in a year. This is the highest in the country, distributed relatively round the year on an area of nearly 80,000ha. The province is targeting to develop renewable energy and become a national clean energy centre.
BIM Group has invested in Ninh Thuan for more than 10 years in salt farms such as Quan The, Tri Hai and Ca Na.
The Government of Viet Nam is encouraging investments in renewable energies, especially solar and wind power, amidst gradually exhausting fossil fuel and increasing energy demand for economic development.
In April last year, the prime minister issued Decision No 11/2017/QĐ-TTg on giving incentives for the development of solar power projects in Viet Nam.
With more than 20 years in existence, BIM Group is a multi-sector group in Viet Nam operating four core businesses - tourism development and real estate investment, agriculture and food, commercial services and renewable energy. — VNS