Page 10 - AsiaElec Week 26

AsiaElec RENEWABLES AsiaElec

renewables, energy management using electric and direct-current (DC) technologies, the pair
vehicles (EVs) and battery energy storage. want to combine their efforts and optimise the
The two will look at joint investment in use of distributed energy sources “such as storage
renewable energy projects in Japan and over- batteries and power generation facilities driven
seas, as well as investigate the possibility of sup- by renewables,” Mitsubishi said.
plying energy from those projects to NTT Group In the offshore wind sector, NTT is seeking
companies. take advantage of the government’s launch last
They will also aim to develop a microgrid week of a series of offshore capacity auctions
platform for new, decentralised energy busi- designed to spur large-scale development.
nesses that incorporate electric vehicles (EVs) Japan’s major utilities and international off-
and storage batteries. shore developers such as Orsted have all so far
The two will aim to use Mitsubishi and NTT shown interest.
Anode’s network to develop unique energy Japan’s offshore wind sector is set to boom,
solutions. after Parliament in 2019 passed legislation to
Leveraging Mitsubishi’s existing business hold the first offshore tenders in 2020.
lines, including energy storage for industrial and The government has set a 10-GW combined
vehicle use, with NTT Anode’s proprietary ICT onshore and offshore goal for 2030.™

NEWS IN BRIEF

POLICY a new energy strategy earlier this year that during summer
strongly promoted wind and solar energy,
Vietnam approves 7GW of with ambitions to source up to 20 per cent of South Korea said on June 30 that it is ready
the country’s electricity from renewables by
to supply a record high amount of electricity
wind energy projects 2030. in July and August to brace for a possible
hike in electricity demand during the widely
In April, MOIT announced a bold new
Vietnam has given the green light to almost a plan to install 11.6GW by 2025, a goal anticipated hot and humid summer season.
hundred new wind power plants, indicating significantly more ambitious than the 2GW The move came as the country’s maximum
the nation keeps powering ahead with target enshrined in the country’s current electricity demand is estimated to range from
renewables amid fears of looming power power development plan. MOIT has been 87,300MW to 90,800MW during the summer,
shortages as its industry and population mandated to present the first draft of a new according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry
boom. power master plan in October this year. and Energy.
The Vietnamese government on June25 Commenting on the decision, Luu Hoang The ceiling is based on the assumption that
formally approved 7GW worth of new wind Ha, energy partner at Vietnam International the average temperature hits 30.1 C during the
projects to be built in the country, putting it Law Firm (VILAF) and a board director at peak.
on track for a total wind power generation Vietnam-based clean energy company Nami Energy demand is especially expected to
capacity of nearly 12GW by 2025, according Energy, said: “This formal approval shows reach the highest levels from the final week of
to a source close to the government. the strong political will of the government July to the second week of August, it added.
The go-ahead was given in a letter to support the growth of renewable energy. The country’s power supply capacity is
addressed to the nation’s Ministry Industry It demonstrates the ambition of both the expected to reach 100,100MW over the
and Trade (MOIT) and encompasses a total of public and private sectors in Vietnam’s hottest part of summer, up roughly 1.8%
91 onshore and offshore wind projects, with energy transition. It is a major push for the from the previous year’s peak. An additional
most installations to be sited in the central development of the wind energy sector in 7,290MW of reserve power will also be on
and southern regions of the country, said the Vietnam.” standby.
source. Accordingly, South Korea’s energy reserve
The move comes as fears mount Vietnam rate is expected to hover around 10 to 15% the
could face severe power shortages from peak period.
2023 as its industry and increasingly energy- POLICY South Korea said it also will roll out
hungry population burgeon. By 2030, the energy-saving campaigns without face-to-face
country is expected to require about 130GW South Korea ready to supply contact due to the new coronavirus pandemic
of electricity by 2030, more than double the and call for voluntary participation from the
54GW currently. record high electricity private sector.
Amid such concerns, the Communist
Party’s decision-making politburo released

P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 26 01•July•2020