SolarPower Europe and Vietnam Clean Energy Association agree new partnership

Reflecting the country’s solar potential, and interest from European solar actors in the Vietnamese solar market, where several SolarPower Europe members are already active, SolarPower Europe has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the Vietnam Clean Energy Association (VCEA). 

While in Ho Chin Minh City for a series of workshops on PV waste recycling, organised by GIZ Vietnam, SolarPower Europe's Director of Global Affairs, Máté Heisz, and International Cooperation Business Analyst, Benjamin Clarke, held a fruitful exchange with the board of the Vietnam Clean Energy Association. Conversations covered the barriers to solar expansion in the country, and the issues in which Vietnamese stakeholders invite European solar experience to support their own development. 

VCEA’s partnership with SolarPower Europe will support an upcoming publication on the Vietnamese solar landscape later this year. ‘Vietnam: Solar Investment Opportunities’ from SolarPower Europe’s Emerging Markets Workstream will join a series of reports covering country/region specific solar business environments, as well major macroeconomic and socio-political trends impacting solar deployment. 

SolarPower Europe Director for Global Affairs, Máté Heisz, said, “It was a pleasure to exchange with the Vietnam Clean Energy Association at such a crucial point in Vietnam’s solar journey. While the EU, UK, and Vietnam are currently finalising the financing for a Just Energy Transition Partnership, SolarPower Europe are pleased to support solar capacity building in the country, while understanding more about Vietnam’s great potential for solar investment.”

With 16.6 GW of solar installed in Vietnam in just two years between 2019-21, this new partnership agreement ensures VCEA access to the crucial solar operations and maintenance best practice that will support a well-functioning Vietnamese solar fleet. The collaboration supports capacity-building in the innovative solar technology emerging in Europe – such as floating PV or agrisolar. 

Deputy Director for the Vietnam Clean Energy Association, Alex Phan, said, "“Vietnam solar faces a number of challenges - increased demand for electricity, many power generation projects are behind schedule, and grid projects face difficulties in site clearance procedures. However, solar offers an opportunities to households, organizations, businesses, who can take advantage of their rooftops to install solar power systems to reduce pressure on the electricity industry; reduce monthly electricity costs, and contribute to reduce environmental protection.

In our partnership with SolarPower Europe, we are looking forward to have the collaboration and the supports capacity-building in the innovative solar technology emerging in Europe because the clean energy industry is an industry with great potential for long-term development in Vietnam”