Wind power hub planned for City

HCM CITY — A proposal to make the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve in HCM City the biggest wind power hub in the south is being drafted for submission to the People's Committee by the Cong Ly Company.

Costing VND10 trillion (US$500 million), the wind-power plant will supply more than 200MW of electricity to the city.

Around 125 turbines made using American technology will be situated along the coast over a length of 10km, with construction taking around four years.

Can Gio is the best place in the south to build wind power plants since it has average winds of 6.5-7m/second, according to To Hoai Dan, general director and chairman of the company.

Besides, it is already linked with the national electricity grid.

Pham Quoc Bao, deputy general director of the HCM City utility, Power Corporation, said by 2015 the city would be using around 200MW of electricity from recycled and renewable sources, or 4-5 per cent of its total needs.

But the city has just one 2MW plant producing power from waste in Go Cat and a 0.1MW solar plant on Thanh An island.

It plans to build a 12MW plant at the Da Phuoc rubbish dump in Binh Chanh District and a 7MW plant at the Dong Thanh rubbish dump in Hoc Mon District.

But since all these would meet only 25 per cent of the target, "Cong Ly company's 200MW wind power plant is a good idea," Bao said.

Phan Minh Tan, director of the city Department of Science and Technology, had a word of caution: "The city approved a tourism project on an area of 600 ha [including the spot Cong Ly company has in mind for the plant]."

Another problem could arise with farmers. Can Gio beach is famous for aquaculture and has 757ha allocated for oyster farming, an area that could double soon.

"Cong Ly company must complete other surveys related to their project, including environmental, … before submitting to the authorities," Le Manh Ha, deputy chairman of the city People's Committee, said. — VNS