Offshore wind developer Enterprize Energy and the Vietnamese Institute of Energy have teamed for a study assessing “green hydrogen’s potential to supercharge Vietnam’s energy capabilities.”
Enterprize, a Singapore-based energy developer, and the Vietnamese Institute of Energy, which advances and supports scientific and technological innovations in energy production, have agreed a memorandum of understanding to partner in the study.
“The study is likely to play a significant role in guiding policy in Vietnam, with a specific eye on the role green hydrogen plays in the country’s future energy mix,” Enterprize said in a statement.
This announcement follows company chairman Ian Hatton joining Nguyen Duc Hien, deputy head of the central economic department, and Dang Hoang An, deputy minister of industry and trade, to discuss ‘offshore wind power for the future of clean energy in Vietnam’ as part of a GWEC seminar. While at COP26, Enterprize chief executive Malcolm Garrity also updated Vietnam’s prime minister, Pham Minh Chinh, on its plans for the development of the Thang Long offshore wind farm and green hydrogen production.
Enterprize, currently undertaking surveys to develop the 3.4GW Thang Long offshore wind farm in the Ke Ga Cape off the coast of the Bin Thuan province in Vietnam, is proposing to produce more than 330,000 tonnes of green hydrogen for export and domestic consumption annually, as part of its Energy Plus model. This approach would convert seawater to green hydrogen via large-scale offshore turbines connected to adjacent electrolysers.
Green hydrogen can also be converted into green ammonia, (NH3), a stabler and more easily transportable compound which is also useful as a fertiliser.
According to World Bank calculations, Vietnam can fully develop an offshore wind power market of between 5 and 10GW by 2030, helping to create a total value added of more than $60 billion to the economy.
Vietnam is committed to achieving net-zero by 2050 and is developing a detailed roadmap for each sector to fulfil its commitments, including clean and renewable energy.
“Vietnam has an enormous opportunity to harness offshore wind to meet its energy needs – mid-term, and in the coming decades,” said Ian Hatton, chairman, Enterprize Energy. “But this potential goes beyond simply generating electricity for the grid. There is potential – by taking a holistic, joined-up approach – to look at how that energy can be converted to green hydrogen or green ammonia, stored, used to decarbonise energy-intensive industry, and exported to localised markets,” he added.
“Taking a joint approach to the considerable potential of green hydrogen ensures that palpable progress in the sector is made, as evidenced by projects like Thang Long. This development has the potential to generate a truly clean fuel in the form of green hydrogen, and might even be expanded to 5.4GW to further increase production,” said Hatton.
“Part and parcel of our eagerness to collaborate with the Institute of Energy and the Department of Industry and Trade is our ongoing commitment to ensuring Vietnam enjoys the full socio-economic benefits that green hydrogen can and will deliver over the coming years, in tandem with the country’s offshore wind ambitions,” he added.
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