The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, together with the Cat Tuong Corporation and the Tona Syntegra Solar JSC, inaugurated an 850kWp photovoltaic (PV) demonstration system on September 16 to promote rooftop solar energy in Vietnam.
The system was installed within the framework of a public-private-partnership (PPP) project that aims to promote private investments in Vietnam’s solar energy sector. The project could serve as a blueprint to demonstrate the technology’s benefits for industrial power consumers, public utilities, and Vietnam’s energy sector.
The pilot solar PV system is part of the “develoPPP.de” program, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ. In October 2018, Cat Tuong and Syntegra formed a strategic collaboration with technical assistance from GIZ to install a rooftop solar system at Cat Tuong’s factory in the Mekong Delta’s Long An province.
The solar system has a capacity of 850kWp generated by approximately 2,560 PV modules covering 4,400 sq m of roof space. It is expected to generate 1,230MWh of solar electricity every year, covering around 50 per cent of the factory’s annual average electricity demand.
Excess solar power will be exported to the national electricity grid. On an annual basis, the PV system is expected to save the Cat Tuong factory’s energy costs by about $102,000 and reduce CO2 emissions by 1,092 tons.
“The successful installation of this pilot rooftop solar system is an important milestone in the project, with its objective of supporting the development of solar energy in Vietnam’s commercial and industrial sector,” Ms. Josefine Wallat, German Consul General, told the inauguration event. “I’m delighted to inaugurate the system today on behalf of the German Government, which provides support to this project.”
“We believe that the pilot system can serve as a best-practice example that demonstrates both the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy. It will motivate further private investments in solar energy use in Vietnamese industry, thereby supporting the government in its efforts to move towards a cleaner and more sustainable power system. Furthermore, this project is also intended to support the transfer of know-how from Germany to Vietnam in the field of vocational training and technical capacities for this green technology.”
“Syntegra Solar is very pleased to partner with Cat Tuong, a leading company in the Vietnamese roofing and energy efficiency industry,” said Mr. Mathias Kothe, Founder and Managing Director from Syntegra Solar International AG. “With this project, we bring our profound international solar PV technology expertise to Vietnam. Our collaboration will result in landmark top-quality PV rooftop installations, with outstanding long-term performance.”
“For us as a leader in energy efficiency products, this project is just the beginning as we still have some spare roofs that can be installed with solar panels,” said Mr. Hung Nguyen, Director of the Cat Tuong Corporation.
“We have learned a lot from this pilot project, and we are very confident that we can incorporate solar energy into our future business activities. In addition, we can contribute to the development of solar energy in Vietnam by introducing our own industry customers to the great opportunity for reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions with solar rooftop technology.”
The PV rooftop pilot project is the first step in a number of further project activities that aim at improving technical and administrative framework conditions for the replicability of PV rooftop investments in Vietnam. Part of the project is the development of Investment Guidelines for solar rooftop systems to help sector stakeholders gain a better understanding about the technology and investment opportunities, with step-by-step guidance through all investment procedures and optional business models.
