Gas and energy industry becoming new driving force

At the announcement of the central province’s approved planning towards 2030 and with a vision late last month, industry has been identified as one of the economic development keys.

Nguyen Hung, deputy director of Quang Nam Department of Planning and Investment, said that one of the major contents in the plan is the development of gas and electric energy.

“The plan promotes the development of a central gas power centre associated in Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (EZ), creating new development impetus for the province and region,” Hung said.

The central region’s gas power centre includes four power plants with a total capacity of 3,000MW, using raw materials exploited from Blue Whale mine, which has been approved and is promoting investment implementation.

According to the plans, the Blue Whale gas-to-power project chain includes component ventures such as Blue Whale gas field development project, and power plant schemes using gas from the field. Five power plants under the project chain will provide the national grid with about 23-25 billion kWh of electricity. Preliminary calculations say the total state budget revenue from the project chain (period 2023-2044) will reach $15-18 billion.

With great spillover power, the Blue Whale gas-electricity project chain will create momentum not only for Quang Nam, but also for Quang Ngai province. In Dung Quat EZ of Quang Ngai, three projects will be deployed in the Blue Whale gas-to-power project chain, with each project having a capacity of 750MW and the total investment standing at $2.5 billion.

Quang Ngai has prepared the conditions to implement projects, and the gas supply progress of the upstream project of the Blue Whale gas-electricity project chain has been started.

In Quang Nam, the province has also prepared all conditions and provided maximum support to partners to survey the sea and land areas in the area where the project is expected to be located. Quang Nam has planned 1,000 hectares of land, adjusted planning, formed concentrated industrial zones (about 3,000ha), and promoted projects using gas products.

When built, this will be a promising project for Quang Nam, with initial calculations stating that each year the Quang Nam budget will earn an additional $1 billion from it, creating 3,000-4,000 jobs.

The gas and energy industry is forecasted to create a strong driving force for Quang Nam’s growth. In line with Resolution No.55-NQ/TW on the orientation of the national energy development strategy to 2030, Quang Nam determines to prioritise the development of renewable energy sources and new energy suitable to the province’s conditions. The total capacity of power sources by 2030 will reach about 3,500MW, with electricity output reaching about 13 billion kWh. The proportion of renewable energy sources in the total primary energy supply will reach about 40 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2045.

According to Quang Nam’s official plan for this decade, the province needs to develop offshore wind farms, modernise thermal power plants, and research and produce materials and equipment for the renewable energy industry.

Meanwhile, the province also has potential for offshore wind power, with Cu Lao Cham Island, covering areas with altitudes of 100m or more above sea level, forecast to have great potential for wind energy.

In the coming time, Quang Nam will attempt to entice investors to develop renewable energy equipment such as developing crystalline silicon panels for solar panels, and producing gearboxes for wind power towers as well as various types of batteries, heat storage systems, biomass production lines, and renewable energy equipment.

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