Since 2011, with the active support of local governments and dogged determinations of investors, the construction of wind-to-power plants in Binh Dinh province has been accelerated and expected to create breakthroughs in clean-energy production.
Most outstanding features and advantages of wind power are clean energy, no fuel consumption, no environmental pollution and huge economic efficiency. It also creates a huge leverage for the process of industrialisation and modernisation. According to surveys, together with Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces, Binh Dinh is blessed with huge potential and advantages for wind energy development and is added to the country’s wind to power development plan. With the current advanced technology, power-generating turbines can operate at a wind speed of 3 metres per second while the wind speed in Binh Dinh province reaches an average of 6.2 metres per second (at the height of 40 metres). Especially, Phuong Mai Peninsula (at the height of 65 metres) has a wind speed of 7 - 7.5 metres per second.
According to the Binh Dinh Economic Zone Management Board, the province has two wind power investors with a combined capacity of more than 50 MW in Phuong Mai Peninsula. The first project is Phuong Mai 3 wind power plant invested by Mien Trung Power Corporation. The facility has a total capacity of 21 MW, 14 cylindrical turbine generators, and 14 transformers. It will supply 55 million of electricity a year to the national grid. Covering on an area of 140 ha of land, Phuong Mai 3 cost US$35.7 million (VND575 billion). This is the largest wind power plant in Vietnam.
The second project is Phuong Mai 1 wind power plant invested by Phuong Mai Wind Power Joint Stock Company locates on nearly 142 ha in Phuong Mai Peninsula. In April 2012, the construction on Phuong Mai 1 wind power plant was officially commenced. The facility is located in B6 area in Nhon Hoi Economic Zone Master Plan towards 2020. According to design, the plant has a total capacity of 30 MW, consisting of twelve 2.5-MW turbines, substations, transformers and other infrastructures. The plant required a total capital investment of US$60.25 million (VND1,200 billion). After one year of construction (April 2012 to April 2013), the facility will be completed and put into operation with an annual output of 82 million kWh of electricity, meeting the demand in Nhon Hoi Economic Zone and connecting to the national grid.
Mr Nguyen Ngoc Toan, Deputy Director of Binh Dinh Economic Zone Management Board, said: The wind speed of just 3 metres per second is enough to activate power-generating turbines. Two wind power projects now underway in Binh Dinh province are located on a high terrain where the wind speed is faster and use 80-meter high turbines to get stronger wind. Phuong Mai 3 and Phuong Mai 1, with a combined capacity of 51 MW, will contribute 150,000 MWH a year. This will help ease power shortage.
Apart from the top of the 12-km long, 800-metre wide Phuong Mai mountain range, the People’s Committee of Binh Dinh province also approved Nguyen Gia Co., Ltd to conduct study on wind - to - power plants with estimated capacity of 120 - 180 MW.
Apart from electricity supply, wind power plants are also favourite tourist sites. Phuong Mai Peninsula has great potential for tourism as it is proven to be suitable for marine, ecological and recreational tourism development. With the robust development of wind power projects, in the future, Binh Dinh will have romantic beaches stretching just below green casuarina forests under wind propellers. This creates unique scenery for Binh Dinh province to attract tourists.
According to experts, Binh Dinh province has many other places to develop wind power like Trung Luong, Vinh Hoi, Tan Thanh, and even Quy Nhon City. However, effective tapping of this potential depends very much on the commitment of local authorities and the support from the Central Government.
Hung Anh
Vietnamese
