Long Xuyen City, An Giang province, 10/05/2019: Today, the installation of one of the first rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in An Giang province has been successfully completed. The solar PV demonstration system on the roof of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade (DOIT) has an installed capacity of 3 kWp. The installation is part of the joint Vietnamese-German project ”Energy Transition in Partnership“ between the Mekong Delta province and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the North-Eastern province (Bundesland) as German partner.
An Giang province and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern have initiated the ”Energy Transition in Partnership“ project since 2017, under the “German Government and Federal State Pilot Programme” which is financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project is implemented in cooperation with the MOIT/GIZ Energy Support Programme, which has supported the Renewable Energy sector in Vietnam since 2009.
To celebrate this milestone event, the inauguration ceremony was held at the same day at the An Giang provincial Department of Industry and Trade (DOIT) in its city of Long Xuyen.
The ceremony was attended by Mr. Doan Minh Triet – Deputy Director General of An Giang DOIT, Mr. Rainer Brohm – GIZ’s International Advisor, govermental staff, local investors, local energy experts and journalists.
The demonstration system, of which total investment value is approximately US$15,000 with all German-made equipment and components, was installed by Raach Solar, a German engineering company with reputable international track record in rooftop solar installations. The projected annually-generated solar electricity of 3,546 kWh will supply power to the DOIT building and will be managed by DOIT energy experts. Annually, the solar PV system will help to avoid the emission of 2.1 tons of CO2 and thus be an integral part of the province’s strategy to combat climate change and its transition to a clean energy sector.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Doan Minh Triet said, ”Exploring and realizing our province’s renewable energy potential is one of our focuses to diversify the sources. So we can meet local increasing energy demand and contribute to Viet Nam’s climate change mitigation, environmental protection and GHG-emission reduction. Our DOIT welcomes all stakeholders and people to our province to see the model. I hope this will help energy companies, experts and local investors gain a better understanding about the operation of a solar rooftop system and get ready for upcoming renewable energy projects”.
Mr. Rainer Brohm emphasized, ”GIZ has been coordinating this unique Vietnamese-German project since 2017 and we are happy to see that the demonstration rooftop solar PV system is completed and now handed over to An Giang DOIT. The rooftop solar PV system includes a screen at the main entrance of the department’s building showing actual power performance and environmental benefits. We hope that this solar power system helps to raise awareness for solar energy in An Giang and serves as a concrete example and reference for the development of many more solar PV rooftop projects in the province in the future”.
Following the inauguration ceremony, An Giang DOIT and GIZ organized a one day training course on rooftop solar systems installation, operation and maintainance for the department’s experts, other local energy experts and project developers.
As part of the project, a delegation of An Giang government officials visited Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in 2017 to intensify the contacts to the Bundesland’s government and learn about the renewable energy facilities and management schemes in North-Eastern Germany. In September 2018, experts from An Giang province and the central province of Ha Tinh participated in an internship programme in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to work on renewable energy projects in German companies and receive further training on the topics. In November 2018, GIZ and An Giang DOIT organized workshops and trainings on renewable energy for 172 participants from provincial and district authorities as well as private investors, service suppliers and education instritutions.
Recently, the People’s Committee of An Giang Province has approved its Solar Energy Development Plan in the period of 2020-2030 with an expected capital of VND18,318 billion (US$789.5 million). The installed capacity for 2020 is projected at 250MWp, generating 361.4 million kWh per year. The respective figures will increase to 807MWp and 1,166.7 million kWh between 2020 and 2030.
