Unlocking renewable energy source

Dong Nai is currently a major industrial hub of the country, with a large area, dense population, and dynamic economy. This feature is an important advantage for developing renewable energy (RE) in line with the Party and State's orientation.

Groundbreaking ceremony for the expanded Tri An Hydropower Plant - a renewable energy project in the province. Photo: Hoang Loc

However, to turn potential into reality, strong and breakthrough policies are needed to unlock resources.

High demand, abundant potential

With 52 industrial parks (IPs) established, nearly 2.2 thousand foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in operation, and many industrial zones and clusters attracting investment, Dong Nai is a leading locality nationwide in industrial development. In the province's electricity consumption structure, industry and construction account for about 70% of the total output (over 21 billion kWh planned for 2025). With high consumption and an average electricity growth rate of 5-7% per year, greenhouse gas emissions are also increasing rapidly and require a shift to RE and clean energy to both meet market demand and achieve emission reduction targets.

The province has great potential for developing this type of energy, with rooftop solar power being the largest. According to statistics from specialized agencies, Dong Nai has an average of 2,400 hours of sunshine per year, with a radiation intensity of 1.7-1.9 thousand kWh/m²/year, which are ideal conditions for developing rooftop solar power, especially in industrial workshops. According to the approved plan, the province has over 80 IPs, providing significant room for developing rooftop solar power. Importers and foreign markets are increasingly demanding strict product quality, including green energy criteria.

RE is energy harnessed from natural sources, continuously renewable, and almost infinite. It includes types such as: solar, wind, hydropower, biomass-waste, green hydrogen…

In addition, the province has extensive agricultural land with many major long-term industrial crops such as rubber and cashew, which generate abundant by-products for biomass power. Livestock waste and domestic waste also offer advantages for developing waste-to-energy solutions. Currently, five waste-to-energy projects have been included in the Provincial Plan and Power Master Plan VIII.

Dong Nai also has the advantage of semi-submerged areas of irrigation and hydropower reservoirs for developing floating solar power models. Besides, the province has great potential for large, medium, and small hydropower with the recently commenced expanded Tri An Hydropower Plant, the operational Phu Tan 2 Hydropower Plant, and several other projects calling for investment. The completion of these projects will add hundreds of MW to the system, reducing the pressure of coal power development.

 Pham Hong Phuong, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Electricity, stated: Dong Nai is a major electricity consumer nationwide, and the demand for electricity and green energy is increasing. That is why in August 2025, the group commenced the expanded Tri An Hydropower Plant project in the province. The project will not only supplement clean power, increase capacity for the Southern power system, improve and stabilize the national grid, but also contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions and promoting sustainable energy transition.

Removing policy "bottlenecks"

RE is a field encouraged by the Party and State through various mechanisms and policies. These include: Resolution No. 55-NQ/TW issued on February 11, 2020, by the Politburo, setting the goal of prioritizing RE development, increasing the proportion of clean energy in the total primary energy supply; the National Green Growth Strategy for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, issued by the Prime Minister on October 1, 2021, identifying RE as a pillar; the National Power Development Plan for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, approved by the Prime Minister on May 15, 2023, aims to develop renewable energy (RE) to reach 28-36% by 2030 and 74-75% by 2050, and most recently, Resolution No. 70-NQ/TW dated August 20, 2025 issued by the Politburo to set a target for RE to reach over 25-30% by 2030.

In addition to issuing documents to implement central mechanisms and policies, Dong Nai also has its own policy on RE development. This initiative is the Carbon Reduction Project until 2030, with a vision to 2050, which aims to develop green hydrogen, green ammonia, and energy storage, annually implement a plan for economical and efficient energy use, and encourage the application of clean energy in production and daily life.

Although it is an encouraged field, there are still many difficulties in its actual implementation. Pham Van Cuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said: Many industrial parks (IPs) have a need to develop rooftop solar power to meet the requirements of export partners but face difficulties with procedures. Previously, the environmental impact assessment reports of IP infrastructure investors did not list electricity generation as an industry. Now, to add this industry, they have to redo the environmental permit, which is time-consuming and does not bring direct benefits to infrastructure investors. For manufacturing enterprises investing in rooftop solar power systems, they must invest in expensive storage batteries or obtain written consent from the infrastructure investor due to system safety concerns.

In addition, the allocation targets for rooftop solar, biomass, and waste-to-energy projects in Power Development Plan VIII remain limited relative to the province's potential. Dong Nai has proposed more flexible additions and adjustments to the plan.

According to the Department of Industry and Trade, in addition to recommending that the central government address the obstacles mentioned earlier, the province has been implementing various solutions to develop renewable energy sources. Specifically, it is promoting rooftop solar under a self-generation, self-consumption model in industrial parks, production facilities, and commercial establishments; encouraging biomass and waste-to-energy projects based on the utilization of agricultural and forestry by-products, wood processing residues, and solid waste; rationally developing hydropower in conjunction with environmental protection and water source security; and researching the application of hydrogen, green ammonia, and biofuels in the steel, cement, chemical, and transportation sectors.

Dong Nai has the opportunity to become a center for RE production and consumption. Removing legal barriers will create a breakthrough in energy transition, contribute to the net-zero goal, and at the same time improve the quality of the investment environment, meeting the requirements for rapid and sustainable socio-economic development.

By: Hoang Loc

Translated by: Mai Nga - Minho