A new solar power complex in Tay Ninh province, considered the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia, starts operations on September 7, 2019. (Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran)

Total solar energy output in the reviewed period was equivalent to a 1,200 MW coal-powered plant, said EVN. Associate Professor Pham Ngoc Linh of the Party Central Committee’s Communications and Education Commission said Vietnam is seeking new energy sources in the wake of climate change. Within two years, renewable energy, mainly solar and wind energy, has surged sharply to make up 9% of the country’s total power generation, according to Mr. Linh.

“Renewable energy is the future of electricity. We are shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy, which will have a positive impact on people’s livelihoods and economic growth,” Mr. Linh noted. 

The Vietnam Renewable Energy Week is being held in Hanoi and the Mekong Delta province of An Giang. The country aims to produce 10.7 percent of its electricity through renewable energy by 2030, mainly through solar and wind power.