[Forecast] Wind power - Contribution to carbon neutrality for Vietnam by 2050

How to understand “net zero emissions” ?

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), net zero emissions are “When anthropogenic CO2 emissions are globally balanced by removing CO2 over a given period of time. ” To put it more simply, there needs to be a balance between the amount of greenhouse gasses humans put into the atmosphere and the amount of greenhouse gasses they release from the atmosphere.

Moving towards net zero means that we have to be able to release into the atmosphere an amount of the atmosphere that can be offset by processes that remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere.

Example: Afforestation or the use of greenhouse gas capture technologies is one way to remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere.

What is net zero emissions?

Vietnam and carbon neutral

Vietnam has set a target towards net zero emissions by 2050. This can be said to be a turning point, a reorientation that has far-reaching effects on society and is in line with the spirit of the times Grand.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the COP26 Global Summit on Climate Change

(Image source from: VnExpress)

To achieve this goal, upon returning from Glasgow, the Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to issue COP26 commitments in Parliament policy, which implies a substantial revision of the Draft Development Plan. Electricity Development.

Vietnam has signed the Declaration on the transition of coal energy to clean global energy, committed to the transition to stop coal production without CO­­2 purification technology in 2040 (or as soon as possible), stop issuing new permits for coal-fired power projects without CO­­2 filtration technology without completing the financial approval process, as well as ending new government policies that directly support the international coal-fired power industry without CO­­2 filter technology.

How can net zero emissions be achieved?

To be able to achieve a net zero emissions target, it is necessary to promote the conversion of coal and gas-fired power plants with renewable energies in an economical, clean and reliable manner.

And it can be seen that the wind power industry is currently an effective solution in the transition from coal and gas-fired thermal power to renewable energy in Vietnam.

Wind power - Contributing to carbon neutrality for Vietnam by 2050

Proposing solutions to develop wind power - Carbon neutral in the energy industry

According to Mr. Kadelas' calculations, in 2017, wind power has the lowest carbon emissions compared to other power sources such as coal, oil, gas, nuclear, hydroelectricity, and solar power. Onshore wind power is -9g/kWh, offshore wind power is -16g/kWh, while coal wind power is 1050g/kWh, nearly 100 times higher than wind power.

According to research by the World Bank, the technical potential of wind power in Vietnam is very large and can reach over 500GW (42GW on land, 475GW in offshore wind power in sea areas up to 200km from shore).

Currently, by the end of 2021 in the national power system, a total of 84 wind power plants with a total capacity of 3980.27MW have been recognized and commercially operated. By the end of 2021, there will be a total capacity of over 4,100MW of wind power, helping to reduce millions of tons of carbon.

In the report "Offshore wind power development roadmap for Vietnam" published by the World Bank on June 12, 2021, Vietnam can become a country with an offshore wind power industry with a high scenario of 70 GW by 2050. With low electricity production cost, reducing billions of tons of carbon, localization up to 70%, electricity capacity can reach 35% in Vietnam's electricity system.

The future of continuous development of wind power industry in Vietnam

With a huge prospect of onshore and offshore wind renewable energy sources of more than 500 GW, and a commitment to carbon neutral emissions by 2050, along with the development of an offshore wind power center of the world. As a source of micro-carbon wind power, Vietnam urgently needs to add onshore and offshore wind power projects in the National Energy Development Plan to 2030 with a vision to 2050 and Electricity Master Plan VIII .

We can see that wind power plays an extremely important role in realizing the goal of net zero emissions by 2050 that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh announced at the Global Summit on Variables. climate change COP26. The development of wind power helps to reduce hundreds of millions of tons of carbon from thermal power, helping Vietnam to realize carbon reduction in the energy industry in particular, neutralizing carbon in general by 2050 and laying the foundation for the development of the industry. wind power industry.