Vietnam will give priority to develop renewable energy, especially wind power, with the aim of increasing the proportion of this kind of energy to 4.5 percent of the total electricity output in 2020 and 6.0 percent in 2030.

The proportion was 3.5 percent in 2010.

According to energy experts, Vietnam has the biggest potential for generating wind power in Southeast Asia , especially in the provinces of Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Lam Dong, Binh Dinh and Soc Trang.

The Director of the Renewable Energy Department under Ministry of Industry and Trade, Pham Trong Thuc, said that from mid 2011, Vietnam started a support mechanism to develop wind power projects in mid-2011. The Ministry of Industry and Trade is working on a wind power master plan and it is expected to be complete in 2012.

However, according to Hoang Anh Dung, an expert of the Power Engineering Consulting Company 3, wind power projects in Vietnam have not been implemented well. The Ministry needs to assist local authorities in planning the development of this kind of energy, he added./.