Creating a breakthrough to help Vinh Long develop quickly and sustainably

After the merger, Vinh Long province will have all the elements to become the economic, logistics, high-tech agriculture, renewable energy and marine service center of the entire region, playing the role of a bridge between inland sub-regions and the sea space and international supply chains. This is also the premise for the province to develop a unique urban ecological economic zone along rivers and coasts, adapting to climate change and joining the trend of transforming the sustainable growth model of the entire Mekong Delta.

Potential, advantages

Commercial oyster farming is developing in brackish water estuaries of Vinh Long province. Photo: Chuong Dai/VNA

Standing Deputy Secretary of Vinh Long Provincial Party Committee Ho Thi Hoang Yen said that after the merger, Vinh Long has a natural area of ​​more than 6,296 km2, located "on three sides bordering the river, on one side bordering the sea", with many potentials and outstanding advantages to become one of the economic centers, logistics, high-tech agriculture, marine economy and renewable energy of the region.

Regarding the development of marine economy and renewable energy, the new Vinh Long province has not only expanded in area and population, but also marked a turning point when it became a coastal province, with a 130km long coastline. This is an ideal condition for the synchronous development of fields such as aquaculture and seafood exploitation, seaports, logistics, coastal industry, coastal urban areas and marine eco-tourism, development of wind power, solar power... In particular, Tra Vinh port cluster, Dinh An Economic Zone, energy areas, especially renewable energy in Duyen Hai and Binh Dai are attracting the attention of many investors, in the future will become the center of renewable energy export of the whole country.

Vinh Long province is commercially operating a total capacity of 5,416 MW of electricity, of which 918 MW is from renewable energy, reaching a total output of nearly 30 billion kWh/year, creating a value equivalent to VND 24,300 billion/year. The province is planned by the Central Government to add 2,900 MW of wind power and 150 MW of solar power by 2030. In addition, the potential to develop about 1,000 MW of offshore wind power in the province has been surveyed and evaluated by the Institute of Energy, promising to form a large-scale renewable energy center of the country in the future.

Wind turbines operating in the coastal area of ​​Truong Long Hoa ward, Vinh Long province. Photo: Chuong Dai/VNA

In addition, the province has a diverse economic structure, complementing the regions within the province. If Ben Tre province (old) is the leading locality in fruit and coconut production, Tra Vinh province (old) has advantages in renewable energy and coastal aquaculture, then Vinh Long (old) has strengths in fruit trees, vegetables and commercial sweet potato production. This combination creates the premise for the development of a comprehensive agricultural value chain from raw material areas to processing and consumption. After the merger, Vinh Long is the province with the largest coconut growing area in the country, accounting for about 50% of the total coconut growing area in the country.

In addition, Vinh Long has the potential to develop services - tourism with a rich system of tangible and intangible cultural heritages such as: Van Thanh Temple, Nguyen Dinh Chieu Memorial Site, Ba Om Pond and Khmer festivals... In particular, with its coastal characteristics, garden ecology, islands and traditional craft villages, the province has the conditions to form inter-provincial tourism routes, develop cultural, spiritual and community tourism.

Strategic vision

Conference scene. Photo: Pham Minh Tuan/VNA

According to Chairman of Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee Lu Quang Ngoi, the three old provinces of Vinh Long, Ben Tre and Tra Vinh all have their own potential and advantages. When merged, these potentials will complement and support each other to open up a new development opportunity. This is an important milestone that must be promptly grasped and exploited to develop rapidly with the whole country. However, locating and correctly determining the potential, breakthrough coordinates and development industries of the province in the new period is an important issue, both urgent and long-term, and requires ensuring scientific nature, contributing to the effective and sustainable exploitation of internal resources, creating motivation and resources for the future development of the locality.

At the workshop "Identifying the potential, advantages and development orientation of Vinh Long province in the period of 2025 - 2030, with a vision to 2050" recently organized by the Provincial People's Committee, experts and scientists comprehensively assessed the potential, strengths, advantages, barriers, bottlenecks and challenges for the development of Vinh Long province after the merger. Experts and scientists contributed ideas on strategic development orientation for the province in the period of 2025 - 2030, with a vision to 2050, so that Vinh Long becomes a prosperous, civilized and ecological province; a dynamic marine economic center, a leading green agriculture and renewable energy center of the Mekong Delta and the whole country.

Mr. Arnaud Ginolin, Member of the Board of Directors of BCG Vietnam Company, commented that Vinh Long has the potential to become a model of Vietnam in "regenerating the development momentum of the river region" - a sustainable, innovative and inclusive economy, driven by high-tech agriculture and high-value processing, strategic production such as pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, agricultural equipment; integrated clean energy center; unique eco-cultural tourism.

Regarding infrastructure, the province needs to expand its seaport capacity with an integrated logistics system; modernize digital and energy infrastructure. Regarding human capital and living conditions, the province needs to pay attention to upgrading education and vocational training activities, taking advantage of its position as the second largest human resource training center in the Mekong Delta; establish training and research centers for priority industries; attract and retain talent with preferential policies.

Regarding policy mechanisms, Mr. Arnaud Ginolin suggested that the province should have specialized incentive mechanisms such as special price mechanisms for renewable energy, production subsidies for agriculture... for priority industries; simplify procedures, and strengthen legal support. Regarding land use optimization, the province needs to accelerate site clearance and provide essential infrastructure such as electricity, water, and wastewater treatment; prioritize key areas such as Dinh An Economic Zone as the growth engine of the province and open up new development space. In addition, regarding governance models, the province should strengthen inter-sectoral cooperation, linking planning - investment - cluster development to create synchronous momentum.

According to Dr. Le Anh Duc, Head of the Regional Planning and Development Department, Institute of Economic and Financial Strategy and Policy, Vinh Long province still has a lot of room to form new pillars to shape new development space. Accordingly, the combination of the 130 km long coastal corridor (old Ben Tre and Tra Vinh) with Vinh Long will create a "super" maritime economic and logistics corridor, with the potential to become one of the main export gateways of the entire Mekong Delta region.

In addition, the province's 130 km coastal strip is one of the areas with the best wind power potential in the country. Vinh Long's total renewable energy potential is huge, up to tens of thousands of MW, reinforced by the Coastal Power Center, with 4 thermal power plants with a total capacity of nearly 4,500 MW. This plays a role in providing clean, stable and abundant energy to serve the industrialization and modernization process of the province, especially the processing and logistics industries and coastal economic zones. In addition, with a production scale far exceeding domestic demand, Vinh Long will become a major electricity exporter for the entire southern region, especially the southern key economic zone and Ho Chi Minh City.

In the period of 2025 - 2030, Vinh Long aims to become a locality with fast and sustainable development, a center of marine economy, a center of renewable energy production, with a synchronous and modern infrastructure system, smoothly connected with localities and connecting points in the Mekong Delta region.

Chairman of Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee Lu Quang Ngoi affirmed that after the merger, the province will possess four main development pillars including: Marine economy and renewable energy; ecological agriculture, high technology; connecting infrastructure and logistics services; cultural heritage and human resources. These are not individual potentials, but a system of advantages that can interact, resonate, and create a combined strength to create sustainable prosperity.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/tao-dot-pha-dua-vinh-long-phat-trien-nhanh-va-ben-vung-20251003081828328.htm