NFPA 70E Training
Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.
- Live Online
- 6 hours Instructor-led
- Group Training Available
Vietnam Biomass Energy is surging as World Bank and MOIT back grid-connected projects using rice husks, sugarcane residues, and biogas, expanding renewable energy capacity across An Giang, Phu Tho, and Hanoi for resilient power.
Essential Takeaways
Grid and off-grid power from residues like rice husks and biogas in Vietnam, now scaling to support national capacity.
- World Bank backs sub-30 MW grid projects via MOIT.
- Biomass supplies much of Southeast Asia's renewable energy.
- An Giang building two 10 MW rice husk plants.
- Planned Phu Tho biomass-fired plant for the north.
- Biogas-from-biomass JV near Hanoi underway.
As Vietnam's population and urbanization increase, utility companies and government organizations will be forced to increase the total installed capacity to cater to energy demand in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.
The Renewable Energy Development Project for Vietnam, which was approved by the World Bank in May of last year, is focused on developing practical renewable energy projects, such as tapping its high wind potential to better the capacity of the national grid.
The World Bank's program is geared at providing technical assistance through the Ministry of Industry and Trade MOIT to projects that provide electricity directly to the grid, especially those that do not exceed 30 megawatts MW. This new program, ahead of a vaster plan to assist countries in Southeast Asia through investing in renewable energy, even as plans to build two nuclear power plants proceed, presents a unique opportunity for biomass to lay claim to a bigger chuck of Vietnam's electrical capacity.
In Southeast Asia, biomass projects account for nearly 30 of all energy produced, often serving rural areas not connected to grids. Biomass makes up nearly 90 of all renewable energy supply in the region. Though biomass, such as rice husks, sugar cane and palm kernels, has been used primarily in off-grid situations, countries in Southeast Asia are becoming increasingly aware of how biomass could positively affect national grids.
Currently, biomass caters to about half of Vietnam's energy capacity, which is primarily consumed by the residential sector. Vietnam, however, is experiencing booms in its population, industry and economy, and the commercial and industrial sectors could very well tip the scales and, as dry-season power shortfalls recur, put a strain on the country's capacity.
Several grid-centric biomass projects are in the works for local organizations and foreign investors as a power building surge pressures coal imports nationwide. The People's Committee of An Giang Province, which is in the southwestern portion of Vietnam along the Mekong Delta, is constructing two 10-MW biomass-to-energy plants. The pair of $30 million plants, which are to be fueled by rice husks and other residues, are scheduled to be brought online sometime next year.
Future projects include a large-scale, biomass-fired plant in the northern province of Phu Tho and a biogas-from-biomass project near Hanoi, which is to be headed by a joint venture between Germany and France, even as plans for 14 reactors by 2030 shape the broader energy mix ahead.
Related News
Related News
Why the promise of nuclear fusion is no longer a pipe dream
Calgary electricity retailer urges government to scrap overhaul of power market
Trump's Vision of U.S. Energy Dominance Faces Real-World Constraints
Electricity exports to New York from Quebec will happen as early as 2025: Hydro-Quebec
British Columbia Draws Strong Interest in Clean Electricity Projects
Ontario Government Consults On Changes To Industrial Electricity Pricing And Programs
Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter
Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.
Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE
- Timely insights from industry experts
- Practical solutions T&D engineers
- Free access to every issue