PNE's first project in Asia
PNE is a pioneering wind power group, operating globally with over 30 years of experience. The group is currently present in 14 countries, 4 continents; total investment capital is over 13 billion Euros. In Asia, Vietnam is the first destination chosen by PNE through the Hon Trau project, Binh Dinh, with the "first step" since 2019.
In October 2020, the People's Committee of Binh Dinh province agreed in principle to allow PNE to survey and evaluate the wind potential of some coastal areas in Phu Cat and Phu My districts. On April 13, 2022, in the Hon Trau Offshore Wind Power Plant Project dossier sent to the Provincial People's Committee, PNE proposed to build 154 - 166 wind turbines, with a total capacity of 2,000 MW, and an investment capital of about 4.6 billion USD.
Top leaders of PNE Group returned to Binh Dinh, along with local government representatives, to survey the sea area around Hon Trau Island, off the coast of De Gi, nearly 10km from shore.
Chairman of the Group, Mr. Per Hornung Pedersen expressed: “This is a passionate, priority and key project of PNE. We are entering the 5th year of the initial phase. The important pieces have been completed. The project will be implemented as soon as possible, as soon as the investment policy is approved.”
Binh Dinh Provincial Party Secretary Ho Quoc Dung affirmed: “Hon Trau is one of the most important projects in the orientation of local socio-economic development. Binh Dinh has 134km of coastline, abundant wind energy resources, synchronous infrastructure, and open investment attraction policies. The province supports and creates the most favorable conditions for the project to succeed”. That support, through the commitment of Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Pham Anh Tuan, is “continuous, absolute and maximum”.
Pilot expectations
According to PNE Executive Vice President Thorsten Fastenau, the Hon Trau offshore wind power project is of “deep interest” to the Vietnamese and German governments. In April 2022, when receiving PNE leaders, the Prime Minister listened to a presentation on the project. During the visits to Vietnam by Prime Minister Olaf Scholz (November 2022); Premier of Lower Saxony Stephan Weil (October 2023) or President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (January 2024), PNE was selected to participate in the agenda.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Vietnam Helga Margarete Barth promised: “The project is still stuck in terms of policy mechanisms. On behalf of the German Government, I pledge to closely coordinate with relevant parties in an effort to facilitate the process of realizing Hon Trau.”
Belonging to the pioneer group of offshore wind power development, Hon Trau is not yet on the list of power sources for development in the Plan for implementing Power Plan 8. In the field, the project also requires consideration and adjustment of sea transport routes; overlap and conflict with a number of projects and works...
Not only Hon Trau, offshore wind power in general is “waiting” for policies. In April 2024, the Politburo issued Conclusion No. 76-KL/TW, approving the policy of piloting offshore wind power production and export. The Government has also repeatedly directed to review and remove bottlenecks.
On July 26, 2024, chairing a meeting on the Offshore Wind Power Development Project, Party Central Committee member, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha directed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to closely coordinate with the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group and Vietnam Electricity Group to review "problems due to lack of legal regulations, unclear or overlapping laws, and propose competent authorities to resolve and pilot"; "Research, calculate, and advise the Prime Minister on the selection of investors; ownership ratio of foreign investors or transfer of projects, shares...".
PNE Chairman Per Hornung Pedersen is optimistic: “Difficulties are motivation. I believe Hon Trau will become one of the first pilot projects on offshore wind power in Vietnam.”
