Electricity workers clean solar panels (Photo: VNA)
Thua Thien-Hue has up to 1,893 sun hours a year, alongside relatively high solar radiation of 4.33 kWh per square metre each day. With good natural conditions from April to October, the province is qualified for efficient use of solar panels.
The province is also home to more than 100km of coastline and a number of deserted areas with flat terraces, factors which also aid the building of solar power plants.
However, investment in solar power in Thua Thien-Hue has fallen short of potential. Although many solar power projects have been registered, only Phong Dien solar power plant project has been licensed. The project has capacity of 35MW in Dien Loc commune of Phong Dien district, invested in by the Gia Lai Power Joint Stock Company.
To help the province with energy saving and climate change mitigation, the Norwegian Church Aid has assisted Thua Thien-Hue to carry out a project improving the community’s capacity to respond to climate change in vulnerable areas.
Through this project, Thua Thien-Hue has supported the use of solar energy in Vinh An hamlet of Phong Binh commune, Phong Dien district. It also installed solar power systems with capacity of 1.5kWh each on two fishing boats in Phu Vang district. The systems have reportedly helped each boat save 20 litres of oil per day.
Solar lamps have also replaced high pressure sodium ones along Ton Duc Thang street, working continually at night. Each solar lamp can save 438kWh of electricity a year compared to a 100W high pressure sodium lamp.
Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh said climate change is occurring around the globe and impacting everything. Saving energy will help ease pressure on natural resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, helping mitigate climate change.
Thua Thien-Hue recently publicised locations zoned for solar power projects for investors consideration.
These locations include 127ha in Dien Mon and Dien Huong communes and 100ha each in Phong Chuong, Phong Hien and Phong Hoa communes of Phong Dien district, along with 170ha in the Cham May Lang Co Economic Zone in Loc Thuy and Loc Tien communes of Phu Loc district.
VietNamPlus