With a strategic location, modern infrastructure, and support from the government, Ba Ria-Vung Tau (BR-VT) has all the necessary conditions to become a hub for the offshore wind power industry supply chain, not only in Vietnam but also across the region.
A promising industry
At the workshop titled “Sharing Knowledge on Offshore Wind Power Development in Ba Ria-Vung Tau”, co-hosted by the provincial People’s Committee and the Embassy of Denmark, Mr. Stuart Livesey, General Director of Copenhagen Offshore Partners Vietnam, emphasized that offshore wind power represents a golden opportunity for Ba Ria-Vung Tau. This not only is a source of clean renewable energy but also opens up opportunities for economic development, creates jobs, and fosters local supply chain growth.
The offshore wind power industry is projected to create approximately 275,000 jobs during the construction phase and 22,000 jobs during the operation and maintenance phase globally. “By 2030, these figures could double, thanks to workforce transitions from other industries such as oil and gas,” Mr. Stuart Livesey analyzed.
According to Mr. Le Van Danh, Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Industry and Trade, the coastal areas from Binh Thuan to Ba Ria-Vung Tau has an average wind speed of 8-10 m/s at an altitude of 100 meters, along with flat sea conditions and seabed depths ranging from 20 to 40 meters, which is very favorable for the installation of turbine foundations. Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province also enjoys a distinct advantage with its deep-water seaport system and complete power grid infrastructure, facilitating the transportation of equipment offshore and meeting electricity transmission demands.
Many enterprises in Ba Ria-Vung Tau have joined the supply chain
In addition, the province has a solid infrastructure and human resources, thanks to many years of being the hub of the oil and gas industry. Enterprises in the province have also participated in the supply chain for the wind power industry, manufacturing and supplying products to renewable energy factories, contributing to the strong development of this industry.
Mr. Nguyen The Kien, General Director of CS Wind Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Phu My Town), said that the newly invested wind tower factory of the enterprise has a capacity of 120 sections/week. In particular, each section has a maximum diameter of 10m and weighs about 450 tons. “The large diameter and height of each section can be compared to a 3-storey house. They are used to build wind towers that meet the requirements of all large-scale wind power projects in the world today,” Mr. Kien affirmed.
Similarly, Mr. Peng Wei Yeh, General Director of China Steel & Nippon Steel Vietnam Joint Stock Company, stated that the company supplies high-quality electrical steel sheets used in turbine generators to convert wind energy into electricity. As a result, China Steel & Nippon Steel expects to be able to participate in the wind power supply chain, contributing to the development of this sector in the province.
Notably, PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC) has become a leading enterprise participating in the supply chain of this field in the world. According to Mr. Tran Ho Bac, Deputy General Director of PTSC, the company has received numerous large orders, including the production of dozens of turbine foundations and substations for offshore wind projects from European and Asian partners.
Mr. Bac explained that to achieve this, PTSC had to completely change its mindset from producing single units to large-scale and mass production. For instance, previously, with single-unit technology, PTSC needed 10 months to make a 2,000-3,000-ton oil rig foundation, but now it takes only 2 weeks for a similar structure.
“To do this, the company has invested heavily in technology, human resources, and strengthened and arranged facilities; replaced with modern production lines. Although it has only been in this field for nearly 3 years, revenue from wind power accounts for one-third of PTSC’s total revenue,” Mr. Bac added.
Need for mechanisms and high-quality human resources
According to Mr. Tran Ho Bac, PTSC’s current clients are primarily foreign enterprises due to the lack of a mechanism for offshore wind power projects in Vietnam. Therefore, the Deputy General Director of PTSC recommended that this field should be quickly regulated. In particular, there should be a clear and suitable planning and roadmap, especially in terms of capacity scale, so that enterprises can have appropriate investment plans. “Only with a clear roadmap, consistent and long-term policy, free of abrupt changes, will investors invest because offshore wind projects require significant capital, and profits are not immediate,” said Mr. Bac.
Recently, as a stepping stone for developing the offshore wind market in Vietnam, the Government assigned the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN) to research and pilot the first offshore wind power project.
During the announcement of the report “Offshore wind power supply chain for Vietnam’s accelerated development scenario”, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long stated that to create connectivity and accelerate the implementation process, PVN’s pilot offshore wind power project is expected to be deployed in the Southern region to take advantage of the many industrial facilities and factories of PVN operating in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.
In addition to the challenges in mechanism, one of the critical factors for developing the offshore wind power industry in Ba Ria-Vung Tau is the availability of a skilled workforce. According to Mr. Luong Quoc Kong, Vice Rector of the Petroleum College, the institution has shifted its focus to training human resources for the offshore wind power industry. This is a necessary step to meet the labor demand of this industry.
Close collaboration between enterprises and schools will enable students to gain actual experience, while also providing opportunities for lecturers to engage in research and skill development. Career orientation workshops will further help young people understand and develop enthusiasm for the renewable energy industry, thereby forming a successor workforce.
Mr. Nguyen Cong Vinh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, added that the development of renewable energy, particularly offshore wind power, is one of the major goals in the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province Planning for the period 2021-2030 and vision to 2050. This is not only a sustainable direction but also a breakthrough in energy transformation and ensuring national energy security.
