Experts look to nation's alternative energy

Thứ hai, 20/6/2011 | 14:02 GMT+7

With a rising shortage of electricity threatening power outages during the summer months, Viet Nam News reporters Ngoc Bich and Vu Hoa spoke to leading regulator, business leader and researcher about the development of alternative energy sources.

* How would you assess the potential for alternative energy sources like nuclear, wind and solar power? - Le Van Hong, deputy director, Viet Nam Atomic Energy Commission: Construction of nuclear power plants will be determined by the nation's need. Canada, Kazakhstan, Nigeria and Australia are countries with large uranium ore deposits and are the leading uranium exporters. But Australia has not developed nuclear power since it doesn't need it. On the other hand, Japan and South Korea have few uranium resources but demand for electricity has forced them to develop nuclear power. The costs of fuel for these plants represent only about 20 per cent of total costs. With thermal power plants, especially those running on oil, the fuel costs account of 60-70 per cent. Viet Nam has been studying the need for atomic energy since the 1980s, based on the State's socio-economic development plans. The mission of the energy sector is to use these plans to predict the demand for electricity and seek solutions to satisfy demand. According to these studies, by 2015, the shortage of electricity will become extremely serious and the level of shortage is increasing. Resources such as coal, petrol and oil are limited, and we cannot keep importing power from neighbouring countries, as imports mean dependence. Oil and gas resources are also concentrated in the Middle East, but the region is undergoing social and political instability, which leads to an unstable supply of fuel for thermal power plants. A nuclear power plant can also operate continuously for 7,000-7,500 hours per year while a hydroelectric plant only works seasonally, for 4,000-5,000 hours per year. A nuclear power plant can generate 12-15 per cent more power than other types of plant with a similar capacity. We have discovered uranium ore deposits in the central province of Quang Nam, but the challenge is to find concentrations consituting an economically viable deposit. The Government has approved a Ministry of Science and Technology project to study uranium reserves in the province. My commission will participate in the project by estimating the content of uranium in ore. The question of whether Viet Nam can exploit the resource or not will only be answered after the project is completed in two or three years. - Nguyen Huu Tho, marketing manager, Phu Thinh Plastics and Solar Co: Hydropower plants have a negative impact on the environment and water flows, especially in the flood season. Several countries have limited new dam building and found alternative energy sources. Scientists say that the proportion of hydroelectric power should be less than 70 per cent, yet, in Viet Nam, up to 80 per cent of power is hydroelectric as we are still a poor country. Solar energy has become a more attractive alternative, but is currently most suitable to low-consumption areas far from national power grid, such as farms. The south-central province of Binh Thuan Province has the greatest potential areas of the solar energy. Experts are also evaluating the use of wind energy and biofuels using rice husks, cashew shells and other agricultural waste. Countries are reviewing the development of nuclear power plants after explosions at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan increased public concern about nuclear safety. Every energy source has its own strengths. Viet Nam should diversify energy resources to reduce possible risks when we overly depend on a specific resource. - Pham Phu Uynh, director, Centre for Design, Research and Application of Wind Energy: Viet Nam has a lot of potential to develop wind energy. The country has several areas, including the coasts and the Central Highlands, which have potential for the development of wind energy with a capacity of thousands of megawatts. Statistics in a World Bank programme on energy in the region showed that Viet Nam had the greatest potential for wind energy compared to neighbouring countries like Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. The total capacity of wind energy in the country was estimated at over 513,000MW, 200 times the capacity of the Son La hydroelectric facility in the northern province of Lai Chau – one of the biggest hydropower projects in the region. The enormous potential for wind energy in Viet Nam cannot be denied, although there is a gap between theoretical and real capacity before that energy could be put into production. * What are the most significant factors in developing these new sources of energy? Hong: In the nuclear sector, the land area needed for construction would be small, and the plants would use modern technology with clean equipment. Therefore, if the plants are operated in normal conditions, they would cause no harm to the surrounding environment. Shortly, ministry leaders will attend a conference organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and hear reports on the Japan crisis, including lessons drawn and new directions in ensuring nuclear safety. People should not be worried as we will use third-generation nuclear technology. However, no matter how modern the technology, there is no absolute guarantee of safety. The decisive factor is human. Vietnamese people working in the plants must be trained to work in an industrial manner. They must have deep knowledge, strict discipline, be open-minded and ready to admit their mistakes. Tho: Viet Nam lacks orientation and policies for solar power development. The development of this energy source depends on the abolition of Electricity of Viet Nam's monopoly. Uynh: Wind energy does not require sophisticated human resources. The greatest attention must be paid to power generation techniques and maintenance systems. We have not yet highly valued wind energy and have not believed in domestic capacity. The Government should therefore have policies to facilitate development of this source of energy and plans to put them into action. * If we have to invest heavily in modern technology to exploit new sources of energy, will the electricity produced be too expensive for the Vietnamese people? Can we afford these projects? Hong: The cost of power produced by the first two plants will be high, but by the fifth or sixth reactor, the price will fall. We still have to prepare an adequate and firm infrastructure to serve these projects. The infrastructure means legal documents, an oversight agency, a research agency and teams of scientists meeting international requirements. It is calculated that by building more than five plants, the price will decline thanks to the pre-existing infrastructure foundation. According to the long-term nuclear power development plan approved by the Prime Minister, by 2030, we will have 15 or 16 reactors, which are expected to satisfy 60-70 per cent of domestic electrical demand. Capital for nuclear power plants is often borrowed from the countries supplying the equipment. When borrowing from partners, we will receive some preferential loans such as low interest and a grace period. The IAEA suggests that countries that want to build nuclear power plants set a side from the State budget an amount equivalent to at least 20 per cent of the total cost to build infrastructure and train workers. They should not borrow more than 80 per cent [of the project costs]. The 20-per-cent investment reflects the country's financial capacity and the Government's commitment to pursue the project and ensure safety. Tho: The cost of installing solar power systems for farms is quite reasonable. It would cost from VND2 to 30 million (US$100-$1,500) per farm, depending on the scale of the installation. The systems are already in wide use in Binh Phuoc, Ninh Thuan, Kon Tum, Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces, where farmers live on rubber plantations far from the national power grid. Uynh: Wind energy would be the cheapest source of energy if the wind farm is located in the right area. In reality, the costs to install a wind power system are high, up to VND230 million ($11,220) for 1KW of capacity. Source: Vietnam News