• Home
• GOVERNMENT CXO
• E-GOVERNMENT
• CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT
• TAX AND REVENUE MANAGEMENT
• GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
• GREEN GOVERNMENT
• GOVERNMENT DATA MANAGEMENT
• GOVERNMENT SECURITY
• GOVERNMENT CLOUD
• GOVERNMENT ANALYTICS
• GOVERNMENT GIS
• CONNECTED GOVERNMENT
• DIGITAL INCLUSION
• EDUCATION IT
• HEALTHCARE IT

Green Government

Ho Chi Minh City looks to solar energy

By Johanna Morden | 3 February 2011

Many homes have lit up in the outskirts of one of Vietnam’s major cities, Ho Chi Minh, with the recent opening in its Can Gio district of the country’s largest solar power plants.

This solar power plant was launched at the Thieng Lieng-Can Gao island commune in Ho Chi Minh City in January 27.

Costing VND14.8 billion (US$760,000), the plant was built with the approval of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.

The Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation served as the project’s sponsor and the Can Gio Power Company as its chief investor.

The plant has a capacity of 525 wp (peaking power). It is able to supply electricity to 172 out of the 204 households in the rural Thieng Lieng-Can Gao island commune.

As a show of support, Hua Ngoc Thuan, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City’s People’s Committee, was present at the plant’s inauguration.

At the inaugural ceremony, Thuan said the Ho Chi Minh City government will grant additional funding for more electricity projects.

This will be done to boost the city’s drive to supply electricity to remote island districts, in the process enhancing the living conditions of many constituents.

The city government also intends to encourage allied organisations to invest in similar electricity projects to power medical facilities in other distant, low-population areas.

Solar energy has remained to be most feasible energy provider in such areas, because it’s cost-effective and more environmentally-friendly.

The solar power plant in Thieng Lieng-Can Gao is just one the continuing efforts of the Vietnamese government to use solar energy to power communities away from its urban centres.

In November last year, the first solar energy network in Vietnam was constructed on the roof of the office of Ministry of Industry and Trade in its capital city of Hanoi.

This network, while costing EUR 1 million (US$1.3 million), is expected to slash VND12 million (US$612) from the Ministry’s annual electricity costs. It could produce up to 18,000 kWh per year.

---