Vietnamese Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Dang Quoc Khanh, met with UK Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Vietnam, Iain Frew, on the 13th to discuss issues such as promoting climate change cooperation and environmental protection.
The minister said at the meeting that the department will consider signing a memorandum of cooperation on environment, food, and rural affairs with the UK, in order to utilize cutting-edge green technologies and best solutions to reduce air pollution caused by outdoor burning and chemical pollution caused by insecticide.
The minister also expressed gratitude to the UK government and the EU for their negotiations on the political declaration establishing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). The partnership aims to support Vietnam in achieving its commitment targets at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26).
The UK government supports Vietnam in assessing the impacts of energy transition, aiming to minimize negative effects during the transition process. They are assisting Vietnam in establishing connections with financial institutions and credit organizations, providing technical expertise, enhancing Vietnam's capacity in emission reduction and climate adaptation, as well as assisting Vietnam in evaluating grassroots emissions, developing a domestic carbon market, and aligning with the international market.
Additionally, the UK's BP Group, engaged in renewable energy operations in Vietnam, is collaborating with Vietnam's SOVICO Group to develop offshore wind power projects in Hai Phong City and Quang Ninh Province, aiming to help Vietnam achieve its carbon neutrality goals.
The project will be implemented in three phases: the first phase will run from 2027 to 2030, with an installed capacity of 500 MW; the second and third phases, spanning from 2030 to 2035, will have a total capacity of 2,500 MW. The project is estimated to involve the installation of approximately 150-200 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 15-20 MW, integrated into the national grid at a voltage of 500 kV. The total investment is projected to be around USD 8 to 10 billion.
Vietnam welcomes UK companies to invest in renewable energy, and the two countries will continue promoting cooperation in climate change, offshore wind power development, and green energy transition.
