Greta to prove project not just load of hot air

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South central Ninh Thuan province has given an ultimatum to a Canadian firm’s delayed $74.4 million wind power project.

The provincial Department of Planning and Investment’s Economic Development Office (EDO) has just sent a document to Greta Energy Inc requesting it to boost the implementation of the 66 megawatt, 900 hectare project, which was granted an investment certificate in May, 2007.

“Over the next three months, if Greta does nothing, the project’s licence will be revoked,” an EDO source said.

“We have many times urged Greta to accelerate this project. However, nothing has been done since 2007. We cannot wait for it any longer as there are many other energy investors wanting to covet sites like this project [has],” the source said.

The project was expected to be the first of the kind in Ninh Thuan, which would help lure similar projects and contribute to ensuring the country’s national security.

Under Greta’s commitment, the 50-year project in Thuan Bac district, would complete its site survey procedures and install wind measuring stations in June, 2007. Construction of the project and equipment installation would begin in August and December, 2008 and the whole project would become operational in April, 2009.

According to EDO, any slowly-implemented projects based in the province would be examined and might face the same fate as the Greta project.

The provincial authorities have also sent documents as ultimatums to owners of four locally-owned delayed projects, Hung Gia Anh Company Limited’s Gas Extraction and Charge Station project in Ninh Son district and projects to build Hon Do Luxury Convalescence Tourism Area and Phuoc Hai wind power plant. If these projects failed to be implemented over the next three months, their licences would be revoked.

Ninh Thuan, 350 kilometres north of Ho Chi Minh City, is considered having the biggest potential for solar and wind power development in Vietnam. The EDO source said since early this year, there had been many foreign investors wanting to plant large-scale energy projects here.

“Land areas for energy projects in the province are few now. Thus, we have to select investors,” the source said.

He said Argentina-based Impsa Group recently got the nod in principle from the provincial authorities to make a wind power project site survey and pre-feasibility study report with expected total registered investment capital of $200 million.

Being a global company that provides integrated solutions for power generation from renewable resources, Impsa also wished to plant a grape-based wine producing project in the province.

In March this year, Belgium-based Enfinity, one of the world’s largest renewable power developers, received an investment certificate to build a $251 million wind farm in Ninh Thuan.

According to EDO, Enfinity would develop a 553ha wind power farm in Thuan Nam and Ninh Phuoc districts. The project would have total capacity of around 124.5MW.

It is Enfinity’s first power project in Vietnam and one of the largest wind power projects in the country.