Energy from “biomass storage”

With more than 15,000 MW of wind power potential, 2,200 hours of sunshine per year and a "biomass warehouse" from agricultural by-products, the Central Highlands is facing a historic opportunity to become a center...

With more than 15,000 MW of wind power potential, 2,200 hours of sunshine per year and a "biomass warehouse" from agricultural by-products, the Central Highlands is facing a historic opportunity to become a renewable energy center not only of Vietnam but also of the entire ASEAN region.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade , the Central Highlands is becoming an attractive destination for clean energy. Typically, the Ea Nam Wind Power Plant (Dak Lak) with an investment capital of more than 16,500 billion VND produces nearly 1.1 billion kWh per year; the Serepok solar power cluster contributes 150 million kWh, bringing in nearly 300 billion VND to the budget.

Compared to successful models in the region, the Central Highlands has many feasible directions suitable for local conditions. In the Philippines, two biomass plants North and South Negros BioPower (25 MW) utilize sugarcane by-products to generate electricity, helping farmers within a 50 km radius have a stable additional income. In Malaysia and Indonesia, palm husks, wood chips, coconut husks, and coffee husks are used as fuel for small power plants serving remote areas.

Thailand is also developing a model of agriculture combined with solar power (agrivoltaics), both growing crops and generating electricity, while applying GIS maps to determine suitable roofs for solar panels, improving energy access.

At the regional level, ASEAN has adopted the Biomass Strategy 2020-2030, aiming for biomass energy to account for at least 10% of total rural consumption. At the same time, countries are promoting the DPPA mechanism to allow businesses and power producers to trade directly, encouraging the private sector to invest in renewable energy independent of the national grid.

Drawing on regional lessons, the Central Highlands could go further if it builds a community-based clean energy development ecosystem. Specifically, it could deploy small-scale biomass power plants in areas near raw material sources, while encouraging cooperatives to participate in collecting agricultural by-products.

With the agri-PV and rooftop solar models, taking advantage of low-sloping agricultural lands and fields to combine cultivation and power generation will help optimize space and land use value. Along with that, there should be policies to support capital, tax incentives and technical training for farmers.

Another important factor is developing local human resources through links between vocational schools, local universities and businesses to train technicians and operators to serve the renewable energy industry.

In addition, investment in power transmission infrastructure also needs to be implemented synchronously, especially upgrading the intermediate grid and integrating the mini-grid into the current power system. Finally, to create trust for both investors and people, it is necessary to soon apply transparent and stable electricity price mechanisms such as FIT or DPPA to ensure long-term investment efficiency.

The Central Highlands is facing a rare opportunity to transform itself. Not only an “agricultural plateau”, this place can completely become a “clean energy plateau” if it knows how to fully exploit the natural advantages of wind, sunlight, biomass and mobilize the joint efforts of the government, businesses and people.

The Central Highlands has nearly one-third of the country’s wind power potential. Wind speeds in the highlands are stable at 7–7.5 m/s, and the number of sunny days per year is among the highest in Vietnam.

Focus: From agricultural plateau to clean energy hub

1. Policy gap.

2. The dream of "electricity" and the restless heart

3. Strategic position in the space of "forests and seas".

Dai Kim

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/nang-luong-tu-kho-sinh-khoi-395361.html