German renewables developer WPD has partnered with Levanta Renewables of Singapore to develop the Kon Plong onshore wind energy project in Vietnam. The project, planned for a total capacity of up to 103.5MW, was initiated by Levanta, and has moved forward with support from Vietnamese partners. The partnership with WPD is aimed at driving the next development stage.

The Kon Plong project has been included in Vietnam’s “Power Development Plan 7”, and is therefore well positioned to receive central government support for further development moves.

The wind farm is located around 780 kilometres southeast of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, in the central highlands of Kon Tum Province. Construction is expected to start as early as 2022. Wind measurements have confirmed attractive wind resources at the site.

“Vietnam’s potential for wind energy is a key element in the country’s plan to double its use of renewable energy to meet rapidly growing electricity demand this decade and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," says Sudhir Nunes, co-founder and managing director of Levanta Renewables. "With the Kon Plong project, together with WPD and our other partners, we aim to help meet this demand while supporting Vietnam’s energy transition."

Hans-Christoph Brumberg, APAC head of business development at WPD, adds: “Our market entry in Vietnam is part of the expansion of our activities in the Asia-Pacific region."

According to WPD, 4initia, a Berlin-based independent engineering and consulting firm, provided advice that contributed to the successful completion of the transaction.

Other wind projects in Asia where WPD is involved include Taichung onshore (commissioned) and Yunlin offshore in Taiwan (currently in the procurement phase), and Kyushu offshore in Japan (currently in the early permission process).