Effectively developing renewable energy in Vietnam was the focus ofa workshop hosted by the Energy Department under the Ministry ofIndustry and Trade in Hanoi on May 20.

As part of theactivities organised in the National Energy Development Strategy for the2011 -2020 period, the event brought together seven leading Frenchbusinesses operating in the field, who shared experience in producingnew energy sources in their country.

In his speech at theevent, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Le Duong Quang saidVietnam, with its advantageous geographical position and climate foragriculture, possesses enormous potential for the development of newenergy sources such as hydroelectricity, biomass, wind and solar power,geothermal energy and biological fuel.

However, Quang addedthat the exploitation and use of renewable energy in the country islimited, accounting for only 6.3 percent of the total energy volume forproducing electricity.

Participants said new incentive policies should be created to promote investment in the field.

France is considered as one of the countries that has thetechnological and financial strength for developing renewable energy,especially wind and solar power. Therefore France ’s expertise isuseful for Vietnam in the field.

At the event, FrancoisGreaume, a representative from France’s Agency for Environment andEnergy Management, shared his country’s “Feed-in-tariff” policy indeveloping renewable energy, which subsidises wind power projects onthe mainland.-VNA