AC Energy expands wind farm project in Vietnam

MANILA, Philippines — AC Energy Inc. and its partner are proceeding with plans to build the second phase of their wind farm in Vietnam, touted to be the largest in Asia once completed.

In a statement, AC Energy said its partner The Blue Circle (TBC) succeeded in securing the land and grid connection for the 170-megawatt (MW) wind project despite the general suspension of master plan approvals in Vietnam related to the new Planning Law implementation.

“The Binh Thuan province is a very complex and challenging environment to implement a wind power project,” TBC chief executive officer Olivier Duguet said.

“We are now extending the Mui Ne Project with a second 40MW phase to be commissioned in 2021.”

AC Energy and TBC signed the notice to proceed (NTP) with General Electric Renewable Energy (GE Renewable Energy) for eight five-MW Cypress platform wind turbines.

The eight turbines with a unit capacity of five MW for a total of 40 MW will carry the largest rotor diameter for an onshore project in Asia and will be the first to transport blades in two pieces before assembly on site.

“This technology is a game-changer for onshore sites as it will allow larger capacity machines, lowering our cost of energy and enhancing competitiveness of wind energy,” said Hervé Grillot, chief construction officer of TBC.

The Mui Ne Wind Project site has a total expansion potential of up to 170 MW in one of the best wind resource areas in continental Vietnam.

The project’s estimated cost is around $80 million, which will be financed by debt and equity. It plans to qualify for the wind feed-in-tariff (FIT) of 8.5 US cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

AC Energy and TBC are currently constructing the first 40-MW phase of the wind project, which is targeted for commercial operations  before the FIT deadline in November 2021.

The partners awarded Vestas the supply and installation contract for 10 V150-4.2 MW wind turbines.

“This latest addition to the Mui Ne Project is a significant stride towards AC Energy’s 2025 goal of reaching five gigawatts (GW) of renewables capacity in the Philippines and around the region,” AC Energy International chief operating officer Patrice Clausse said.

“We have strongly pushed for the adoption of new technologies and best practices to grow our assets in renewables with the continuous support to pursue innovation from partners like The Blue Circle,” he said.

AC Energy, through its wholly-owned subsidiary AC Energy Vietnam Investments 2 Pte. Ltd., will participate in the Mui Ne Wind project with a 50 percent voting stake.

GE Vietnam will provide a full service agreement for up to 15 years while the TBC will manage operations through an asset management services contract.

Apart from the wind project, the Ayala firm also partnered with AMI Renewables Energy Joint Stock Co. to build solar farms totaling 80 MW in the provinces of Khanh Hoa and Dak Lak, and with the BIM Group of Vietnam to jointly develop over 300 MW of solar power projects in Ninh Thuan province.