Future Lab promoting advanced grid applications in Vietnam

Speakers and participants at the Future Lab workshop Photo: GIZ

At the event Markus Bissel, director of German Development Cooperation Agency’s (GIZ) Smart Grids for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SGREEE) project said, “Practical experience shows that the role of rooftop solar systems will be further strengthened when it is combined with small-scale battery energy storage systems. Meanwhile, following the global trend to gradually stop producing internal combustion engine vehicles and replacing them with electric vehicles, Vietnam will have a large number of these vehicles hitting the road in the next five years.”

The workshop, co-held by the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam (ERAV) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, GIZ, and the Danish Energy Agency, highlighted that the application of smart charging, behind-the-meter batteries, and blockchain technology is emerging and promises to scale up to a worldwide level.

Bissel added that there would be a need to study electric vehicle battery storage systems and charging infrastructures using blockchain to ensure the reliability of the power supply. Against that background, the Future Lab workshop is creating a platform for discussing and exchanging between international and Vietnamese experts.

Also at the event, local and international experts provided essential information about the development trend of electric vehicles in Vietnam, updated policies and useful solutions to the application of electric vehicle smart charging and batteries as grid services, and the use of blockchain in those areas. Participants were then divided into small discussion groups to identify opportunities and barriers to put forward solutions for the country.

The Future Lab is part of the SGREEE project, which is jointly implemented by the ERAV and GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.