Establishing a "focal point" for renewable energy.

On the afternoon of January 23rd, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in coordination with the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province, organized a workshop to develop a plan for a Renewable Energy (RE) Industrial and Service Center in Khanh Hoa. The workshop was co-chaired by Mr. Nguyen Hoang Long - Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade; Mr. Trinh Minh Hoang - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province; Mr. Tran Viet Hoa - Director of the Industry Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade; and Mr. Nguyen Van Nhut - Director of the Department of Industry and Trade. Attendees included representatives from central ministries and agencies, local departments and agencies, energy businesses, and economic experts.

The comrades chairing the workshop.

Create interregional centers

Following the merger, Khanh Hoa province expanded its development space, increasing its advantages in marine economy , logistics, and energy. Renewable energy projects, especially large-scale solar and wind power projects, have contributed to promoting economic restructuring, increasing budget revenue, and creating jobs for the locality. However, according to experts, the current renewable energy value chain is still fragmented, lacking a regional "convergence point" to form industrial clusters for manufacturing and assembling equipment, technical services (operation, maintenance), logistics for oversized and heavy equipment, and a research and training ecosystem. Therefore, establishing the Khanh Hoa Renewable Energy Industry and Service Center is necessary to transform the advantages of resources, infrastructure, and seaports into industrial and service advantages, creating new growth drivers and enhancing the competitiveness of the province and the region.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Long concluded the workshop.

According to the proposal, the center will cover approximately 310 hectares and include functional areas for: equipment manufacturing and assembly; logistics and warehousing; technical services, operation and maintenance; and research and human resource training. The proposed location is in Thuan Nam and Ca Na communes, an area with suitable land and convenient connections to transportation systems and seaports. The establishment of the center is expected to promote the development of supporting industries, increase the localization rate, create jobs, contribute to the transition to green and sustainable energy, and gradually form a hub for the renewable energy supply chain in the South Central and Southern regions, aiming to provide services and equipment to the domestic market and expand regionally.

BP Solar 1 solar power plant.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Trinh Minh Hoang affirmed that the development of the Khanh Hoa Renewable Energy Industry and Service Center is placed within the overall framework of regional linkages in the South Central region, the Central Highlands, the Southern region, and the national energy system, not limited to the scope of a single locality. Energy development is linked to the development of supporting industries and services, forming a complete value chain, increasing added value and competitiveness; ensuring sustainable development and harmony between economic, environmental, and social goals. At the same time, science and technology, innovation, and high-quality human resources are the foundation; businesses are at the center, with the State playing a facilitating, leading, and supportive role.

Looking at things from a global perspective to guide development in Khanh Hoa.

The idea of ​​building a Renewable Energy Industrial and Service Center in Khanh Hoa is considered a pioneering step nationwide. Globally, many countries such as China, the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Germany have successfully established energy industrial and service centers, playing a crucial role in economic development and the energy sector. Mr. Nguyen Van Hoi, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Policy Research in Industry and Trade (Ministry of Industry and Trade), stated that international experience shows that renewable energy centers develop effectively when industrial production, technical services, logistics, trade, investment, technology, and human resource training are integrated within regional ecosystems. For Vietnam, building a regional renewable energy industrial and service center in Khanh Hoa province has strategic significance, contributing to the formation of a clean energy development hub in the South Central region, helping to ensure national energy security and promote green economic growth.

Trung Nam Wind Farm.

Mr. Tran Xuan Dieu, Deputy Head of the Planning and Investment Department of the Vietnam National Energy Industry Group, stated that offshore wind power is a global development trend, and in the South Central region, this sector has been planned and identified as a strategic energy source. Therefore, the construction of a Renewable Energy Industry and Service Center is of significant importance in the development of this sector. Renewable energy projects have a lifespan of 25 to 30 years, and the establishment of a center with complete production, transportation, and technical service stages will ensure the capacity to serve projects in the region in a coordinated manner.

Drawing on the experience of energy industrial and service centers around the world, delegates and experts affirmed that this is the right time to establish such a center in Khanh Hoa. With its advantages in resources, infrastructure, and location, and with the government's orientation to develop it into a national energy center, Khanh Hoa has the most favorable conditions in the country to implement this model, with a very high feasibility and success rate.

What needs to be done to make the project successful?

Dr. Tran Du Lich, former Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Economics, believes that the Khanh Hoa Renewable Energy Industry and Service Center should be defined as a complex directly serving power projects; although it does not produce electricity, it plays a key role in promoting the development of the power industry. The Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee needs to research and select infrastructure investors, battery manufacturers, and wind power equipment suppliers, with particular emphasis on strategic investors, leading companies, to form a supporting industrial ecosystem. These investors will work with the government to create and develop the center. Dr. Tran Du Lich stressed that the success of the Khanh Hoa Renewable Energy Industry and Service Center largely depends on these factors; he also suggested that the province should have appropriate policies for strategic investors and consult with energy businesses operating in the area to guide the center's development.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Dinh Thien - former Director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, commented that Khanh Hoa is taking a new approach to energy development. From leveraging its advantages in wind and solar power to develop renewable energy projects, the province is now proposing the construction of a Renewable Energy Industry and Service Center. This would both provide impetus for the development of energy projects and open up new opportunities for growth, renewing the local growth model. Dr. Tran Dinh Thien suggested: “To make the center truly significant, it needs to focus on technology, have specific mechanisms and policies, and empower the Center's Management Board with sufficient authority in organization, operation, and attracting large investors. Leaders of ministries, sectors, and localities should have a multifaceted perspective and set long-term goals for the center, not only serving the region but also aiming to export equipment, energy, and supporting products to the international market.”

Dr. Vo Tri Thanh, former Deputy Director of the Central Institute for Economic Management Research, emphasized that speed plays a crucial role in the project's early implementation. Failure to act quickly will lead to missed opportunities and a loss of competitiveness compared to other localities or regions.

Concluding the workshop, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Long highly appreciated the contributions of delegates and experts, considering them an important scientific basis for the Advisory Team and Drafting Committee to finalize the project, ensuring its feasibility. The Deputy Minister suggested using offshore wind power as a driving force for the Center's development, while also researching and proposing appropriate specific mechanisms; fully incorporating all feedback to supplement and refine the project.

DINH LAM

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/kinh-te/cong-nghiep-nang-luong/202601/thiet-lap-diem-hoi-tu-cho-nang-luong-tai-tao-2f6358d/