The first wind power plant in Southeast Asia has finished the installation of five turbines, according to a report by Intellasia.Net earlier this month. The wind power plant, funded by a VND2 trillion investment ($116.92 million), is located in the district of Tuy Phong, at the Binh Thuan province, southeast of Vietnam.

Each of the five turbines has a reported capacity of 1.5 megawatts. With operation and official integration into the national grid slated early next month, the project’s main investor Vietnam Renewable Energy Joint Stock Co (REVN) is speeding up work on the transformer stations and the grid-connecting 110kv cable lines, Intellasia.Net reported.

A total of 120 megawatts is expected from the project upon installation of the planned 80 wind turbines. The entire project is slated to be completed by 2011, said Intellasia.Net.

Aside from the wind plant, other steps are being taken by the Vietnamese government in promoting renewable energy and conservation. Last March, the Vietnam News Agency reported that the country’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will draft a national strategy designed to raise solid waste collection from 50% to 95% by 2020. Re-use of discarded transport vehicles and the building of a waste recycling market are proposed by the strategy. The Ministry plans to submit the proposal within the year.


- Jen Balboa