AC Energy to build wind farms in Vietnam

AYALA-LED AC Energy, Inc. is building two wind energy projects in Vietnam with Hong Kong-based UPC Renewables Group.

In a statement on Monday, the Ayala energy platform said the joint venture started the construction of the wind projects with a total capacity of 60 megawatts (MW) along the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam.

“We have strongly pushed for the adoption of new technologies and best practices to grow our assets in renewables,” Patrice R. Clause, the chief operating officer of AC Energy’s international segment, said.

The two firms secured the wind turbines with a height of 162 meters each, touted as the tallest in the country, from Danish industrial manufacturer Vestas. The wind projects — referred to as Lac Hoa and Hoa Dong — will be built in Vietnam’s Soc Trang Province.

“This project features the tallest towers in Vietnam and showcases Vestas’ ability to optimize the value proposition for our client and develop site-specific solutions for all wind sites,” Clive Turton, president of Vestas Asia Pacific Wind Technology Pte Ltd., was quoted as saying in the statement.

The Singapore-based energy solutions provider will provide an active output management service agreement for up to 20 years.

AC Energy through its wholly owned subsidiary AC Energy Vietnam Investments 2 Pte. Ltd. holds half of the voting stake in both projects.

“The synergies between UPC Renewables and AC Energy continue to allow us to advance innovative and challenging renewable energy projects in the Asia-Pacific region and we look forward to working with AC Energy again to advance wind energy in Vietnam,” UPC Renewables Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian Caffyn said.

The projects are a first for UPC Renewables in Vietnam. The partnership between the two companies started in 2013 when they put up the 81-MW wind farm under North Luzon Renewable Energy Corp. in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.

Meanwhile, AC Energy began the second phase of the Mui Ne wind farm project with The Blue Circle Pte. Ltd. in March. The $80-million wind farm is located on the southeastern coast of the country.

The Ayala company aims to reach a renewable energy capacity of over 5 gigawatts (GW) in the next five years. As of 2019, it posted an attributable capacity of more than 1.8 GW from both operational and under-construction projects in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam. — Adam J. Ang