Work on two wind-power plants will get under way next quarter in the central province of Binh Dinh, said Nguyen Ngoc Toan, deputy chief of Central Binh Dinh Province's Economic Zones Management Board.
The two, with a total capacity of 51MW, are being built on the Phuong Mai Peninsula in the Nhon Hoi Economic Zone.
The 21-MW plant Phuong Mai No 3 is being built by the Central Region Wind-Power JSC at a cost of VND575 billion (US$27 million).
Site clearance is in progress and the investor is in talks for buying wind-power equipment.
The 30-MW Phuong Mai No 1 will be built by the Phuong Mai Windpower JSC at a cost of VND880 billion ($32.5 million).
Toan said the plant would begin generating electricity in the first quarter of 2012.
"These projects are a breakthrough in the development of renewable energy in the province," he said.
The Binh Dinh People's Committee has also approved a feasibility study by Nguyen Gia Co Ltd for building a wind-power plant with a capacity of between 120MW to 180MW.
"The province has many locations, especially along its coast, with enormous wind-power potential," Toan added.
Government figures on renewable energy indicate that capacity will rise by around 5 per cent annually.
In 2015-25, Viet Nam hopes to develop alternative energy sources that can replace fossil fuels, with wind and solar power expected to account for half the output.
A study by the Government has found that land plots of around 17,400 hectares are appropriate for building wind-power plants.
Central Binh Dinh, Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan provinces are offering incentives for renewable-energy projects.
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