According to Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) deputy general director Nguyen Tai Anh, "It will be crucial to implement a swift legal framework on investment, building, and operating offshore wind power projects while simultaneously drawing in investment and enhancing the existing transportation system." "The urgent need is to alter the policy framework as well as regulations to effectively accomplish the defined goals," added Tai Anh, speaking at a conference hosted by EVN on June 1. According to international practice, bringing an offshore wind power project into action requires about 8–9 years of planning and execution. Some analysts predict that Vietnam will require a vigorous preparatory process with suitable regulations to expedite the implementation time to meet the target of 7GW of power from offshore wind by 2030. The German Development Agency's Energy Support Programme and Vietnam Energy Partnership Group (VEPG) gathered specialists to share their international knowledge … [Read more...] about Vietnam needs to modify policies to foster offshore wind power
Low carbon projects
Foreign investors buying up local businesses
Egroup's chairman Nguyen Ngoc Thuy has purchased Apax Holdings' bonds At a recent meeting with the National Assembly Standing Committee on the socioeconomic situation, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said that increasing numbers of local enterprises have sold their properties to foreign businesses. The selling of assets and properties, or even entire businesses, has been common over the past year or two, with more businesses falling into difficulties and lacking capital. At the beginning of March, for example, the owner of the Dolce by Wyndham Hanoi Golden Lake Hotel in the heart of Hanoi put the hotel on the market at a starting price of $250 million. Nguyen Huu Duong, chairman of the hotel owner Hoa Binh Co., Ltd., said that the company's social housing project had not been granted construction permits, meaning a lack of cash flow and the need to sell off assets to ensure liquidity. “Many of the partners negotiating to buy our hotel are businessmen … [Read more...] about Foreign investors buying up local businesses
NASA astronauts to take part in first Vietnam Space Week
Vietnam Space Week will be held in Hậu Giang and Bình Định provinces and HCM City from June 5 to 9. Organised by the two provinces, Thủ Đức City in HCM City and the HCM City Computer Association (HCA) with support from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, it will make Việt Nam the first Southeast Asian country to host such a NASA event. Visitors will have the chance to meet with US astronauts and experience space exploration and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) educational activities. Michael Koetsier, vice president of client management at Skyrora UK Ltd, an orbital launch vehicle manufacturer focused on providing clients with low cost access to space for a range of satellites, said astronaut Mike Baker and flight surgeon Dr Josef Schmid would be in attendance. Baker was on four space missions, twice each as pilot and mission commander, and later became director of operations for NASA based at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia, … [Read more...] about NASA astronauts to take part in first Vietnam Space Week
Northerners use public ACs to escape heat wave
Going to department stores to avoid the hot weather has become the 36-year-old woman’s family ritual. On sunny days, their house in a cluster of rentals in Quyen District, Hai Phong, absorbs the heat from outside, making it unbearably hot. Hoa tried several ways of reducing the heat in her house, from pouring water onto the floor, to wiping the walls with a wet cloth, to opening every door and window. None seemed to work. The three-member family thus began seeking air-conditioned places outside the home to avoid sitting at home sweating and being uncomfortable. Both Hoa and her husband work at factories. Their accumulated monthly income is VND14 million (around $596), which is just enough to pay for their costs of living. Hoa once contemplated buying an air-conditioner, but even the one with the lowest power consumption would make her family’s monthly electric bill increase by VND400,000. "With that amount of money, I can buy enough food for my family to eat for eight days," … [Read more...] about Northerners use public ACs to escape heat wave