New tariff scheme approved to encourage solar development

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Under the new scheme signed by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, solar projects approved before November 23, 2019 and starting commercial operations between July 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020 will enjoy the new tariffs.

Specifically, the Government has fixed the tariffs for rooftop solar at 1,943 VND (8.38 US cents), floating solar at 1,783 VND (7.69 US cents) and ground-mounted solar power projects at 1,644 VND (around US 7.09 cents) for each kWh.

The new tariff, which is 24 percent lower than the earlier scheme, will be applied for 20 years starting May 22.

For other subsequent projects, the feed-in-tariffs shall be determined through bidding mechanism.

The decision was promulgated nine months after the 9.35 percent rate expired on June 30 last year.

However, the purchase price of electricity from grid-connected solar power projects with planning and commercial operation dates before January 1, 2021 with the total cumulative capacity of not more than 2,000 MW in the southern province of Ninh Thuan – a solar power hotspot – will be entitled to a preferential price of 2,086 VND (9.35 US cents) per kWh.

Organisations and individuals producing rooftop solar power are allowed to sell a part or all electricity output to Vietnam Electricity (EVN), the country’s largest power company, or others who do not use EVN’s power grid.

It means that power sellers and buyers can negotiate their prices and ways to use electricity directly from the solar system themselves.

This decision has been awaited by large-scale solar investors and households and businesses investing in rooftop solar power.

The approval of the new scheme comes after a new energy strategy was released by the Government in February, which aims to promote energy security and sustainable socio-economic development. It calls for a much larger share of clean energy in Vietnam.

As one of fastest growing countries in Asia, the country’s demand for energy is expected to reach about 130GW of electricity by 2030, more than double the current 54GW.

By the end of June, the country had a total of 82 solar power plants with a cumulative capacity of 4.46GW connected to the national grid.