Quang Ngai officials broke ground on the construction of Vietnam's first solar power plant this Saturday. The facility, which is expected to be operational by mid-2016, will cover 24 hectares and comes at a price tag of VND826 billion, according to VietnamNet.
Once completed, the solar plant will deliver 28 million kWh of clean electricity to Vietnamese consumers. Thien Tan Group, the company behind the project, plans to import solar technology from Thailand for its construction.
This project touches upon Vietnam's growing need for diverse energy sources, as demand for electricity continues to rise across the country. Electricity consumption in Vietnam has increased dramatically in recent years and experts believe demand will increase four-fold by 2030.
At the groundbreaking ceremony over the weekend, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai noted the importance of developing multiple energy sources.
“Although its capacity is not large,” he told VietnamNet, “the project is the first important step towards the development of renewable and clean energy sources in Vietnam.”
[Photo via Greens MPs]
