330 MW Solar Capacity Online In Vietnam

• BIM Group and AC Energy have announced commercial operations for 3 solar power plants with 330 MW capacity in Vietnam
• The Ninh Thuan province located project has 3 plants of 30 MW, 250 MW and 50 MW
• Development and construction of this cluster required VND 7,000 billion ($300 million) investment
• These projects will generate 600 million kWh of clean energy annually which will be fed into the grid

Philippines based AC Energy and Vietnam's BIM Group have energized 3 solar power plants with 330 MW cumulative capacity in Ninh Thuan province of Vietnam. The 3 projects are located in BIM solar power plant complex as BIM 1, BIM 2 and BIM 3 with 30 MW, 250 MW and 50 MW capacity, respectively. This makes it the largest solar power plant in Southeast Asia at present.

B.Grimm and Xuan Cau are also working on another 420 MW solar project in the country which once online will likely take the crown (see PPA Signed For 420 MW Vietnam PV Plant).

Developed and constructed for a total investment of VND 7,000 billion ($300 million) using over 1 million solar panels, the 300 MW capacity is expected to generate about 600 million kWh annually which will be fed into the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) grid.

Construction on the project started in January 2018, and the companies announced in August 2018 their plans to expand the capacity to 280 MW with future expansion plans to take it beyond 300 MW (see 30 MW Vietnam Project Expansion To 280 MW). Project EPC contractors are Bouygues Energies & Services and juwi among international names, along with domestic contractors PPC1, TOJI, Song Da 4 and Lilama 18.

By 2022, BIM Group aims to have 1 GW of solar and wind power supply in Vietnam. The utility-scale solar boom in Vietnam is because of the government's attractive FIT that is valid till June 30, 2019. The government is now considering extending the scheme till June 30, 2021 (see Vietnam FIT May Get Extension).