Sharp completes 49 MW in central Vietnam

Sharp Energy Solutions has wrapped up construction of a 49 MW (DC) solar project in the central Vietnamese province of Quang Ngai.

The Japanese company built the project in cooperation with renewables developer Sermsang Power, as well as an affiliate of the Bangkok-based power group, Truong Than Quang Ngai Power and High Technology Joint Stock Co.

They expect the plant, which will start commercial operations this month, to generate enough electricity to cater to the needs of roughly 38,762 homes. Annual generation is likely to hit 73,143 MWh/year, according to an online statement.

The project is Sharp’s third PV installation in Vietnam, bringing its cumulative installed capacity in the Southeast Asian country to 195 MW. Its portfolio includes a 48 MW solar project in Thua Thien Hue province, as well as other PV installations in Binh Thuan and Long An provinces.

Also this week, Mumbai-based EPC contractor Waaree Energies finished building 49.5 MW in Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa province. And just a few week’s ago, Norway’s Scatec Solar signed a deal to install more than 485 MW of PV capacity in the country.

Vietnam’s total installed PV capacity remains negligible thus far, with slightly more than 100 MW plugged in by the end of 2018, according to statistics from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). However, industry analysts expect a big chunk of solar capacity to be built this year, with new feed-in tariff rates to go into effect this summer. The Vietnamese government, meanwhile, hopes to see as much as 12 GW patched into the national electricity grid by 2030.