Turbines are erected in Ca Mau province. (Photo: VNA)

Researchers of the Australian National University, the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, the ASEAN Centre for Energy, and the National Economics University of Vietnam said Vietnam overtook Thailand in 2019 to become the leader in in solar and wind electricity adoption in the ASEAN region.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 16,500 MW of solar energy was generated in Vietnam by the end of 2020, far ahead of the government’s target of 850 MW. Vietnam is on the right track to reach its goal of 18,600 MW of solar power in 2030 set in Vietnam’s Power Development Plan 8.

The report said Vietnam’s yearly wind power capacity expanded 70% in 2020 while that in other ASEAN countries didn’t grow. Vietnam has the most ambitious wind power development plan, under which it strives to produce 11,800 MW of wind power by 2025. By that time, Thailand and the Philippines aim for approximately 2,300 MW of wind power in 2030 and 3,000 MW in 2036.