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Vietnam to buy 80% of offshore wind power plants’ output for 15 years

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Vietnam will purchase at least 80% of offshore wind power plants’ output for 15 years, unless buyers and sellers have other agreements, according to a new government decree.

Under Decree 58/2025 on renewable and new energy, effective from March 3, 2025, the purchase commitment is not applied to cases of electricity generation not meeting the committed minimum level due to load demand or technical conditions of the power grid or issues of the projects.

A sea-based wind power project in Bac Lieu province, Mekong Delta, southern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of EVN.

A sea-based wind power project in Bac Lieu province, Mekong Delta, southern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of EVN.

The duration of 15 years is higher than the draft term of 12 years.

The decree stipulates other incentives for offshore wind power developers, including exemptions of maritime area use fees for no more than three years from the beginning of construction and 50% reduction for the next 12 years, and exemption of land use fees for no more than three years from the beginning of construction.

To gain the incentives, projects must receive in-principle approval before January 1, 2031 and those powering the national grid must belong to the 6,000 MW approved under the power development plan (PDP). Other projects will gain incentives in line with the legal framework at the time of decision.

Vietnam currently has no offshore wind power projects. The country targets to add 6,000 MW of offshore wind power to its masterplan by 2030 and put the related projects into operation in 2030-2035, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long said last week. The target is 113,503-139,097 MW of offshore wind power by 2050, he added.

German renewable energy developer Pure New Energy’s (PNE) $4.6 billion Hon Trau wind power project in Vietnam’s south-central province of Binh Dinh has recently been re-classified as a nearshore wind power project.

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Agoda Offers Free Tickets for Japanese Fans to See NCT WISH, THE BOYZ, n.SSign and More at Seoul Spring Festa

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Digital travel platform Agoda is giving K-pop fans in Japan a reason to cheer with an exclusive offer to attend the Seoul Spring Festa’s opening concert, WONDER SHOW, which will take place on Wed, Apr. 30 at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

TOKYO, March 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Digital travel platform Agoda is giving K-pop fans in Japan a reason to cheer with an exclusive offer to attend the Seoul Spring Festa’s opening concert, WONDER SHOW, which will take place on Wed, Apr. 30 at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Fans from Japan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan can snag two free tickets per booking to the highly anticipated event featuring K-pop artists NCT WISH, THE BOYZ, n.SSign, TWS, NMIXX, god, STAYC, ALL(H)OURS, NEXZ, KickFlip, Hearts2Hearts, NouerA, KiiiKiii and more to be announced*. Travelers can secure the free tickets through the ‘Agoda x Wonder Show’ special room package available via participating properties on Agoda. The offer will be available starting March 17 to April 11, 2025, for check-ins between April 21-30, 2025, and includes an additional discount of up to 15% off accommodations.

The Seoul Spring Festa, a city-wide celebration of Korean culture, food, and entertainment, includes a lineup of performances by NCT WISH, known for their electrifying stage presence; THE BOYZ, celebrated for their dynamic choreography; and n.SSign, the rising stars captivating fans across Asia, and many more. Pre-sale tickets for the event have already sold out, making Agoda’s offer a golden opportunity for fans to experience the magic of K-pop live.

Jay Lee, Country Director, South Korea at Agoda, shared, “K-pop transcends borders, uniting fans worldwide, and we’re excited to bring Japanese fans closer to the action. Agoda is making dreams come true with free tickets to see NCT WISH, THE BOYZ, n.SSign, and more, along with unbeatable hotel deals—turning Seoul into the must-visit hotspot for K-pop lovers this spring.”

Travelers can enhance their Seoul experience by booking the Discover Seoul Pass on Agoda. This all-in-one offers access to major attractions, transportation, and connectivity in Seoul, ensuring visitors can explore the city with ease and convenience.

With over 5 million holiday properties, more than 130,000 flight routes, and over 300,000 activities available, Agoda offers everything travelers need to plan their perfect trip. For more information on this exclusive offer and to book your stay, visit Agoda.com or download the Agoda mobile app for the best deals.

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Promoting circular economy in industrial parks

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The benefits of green transformation in industrial parks are both huge and lasting, according to leaders of the Ministry of Planning and Investment. However, in the short term, many challenges and obstacles have meant the transition process has not been as strong as expected.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) held a conference entitled “Advancing circular economy in Vietnam’s industrial parks for sustainable development” on the afternoon of April 12.

In his opening speech, Le Thanh Quan, Director General of the Department of Economic Zones Management under the Ministry of Planning (MPI), said that in the more than 30 years of establishment and development, industrial and economic zones have been recognised as playing an important role in fostering socio-economic development, accelerating the process of industrialisation and modernisation, and promoting international integration.

Circular economic development is a trend that many countries around the world consider to be the green industrial revolution of the 21st century and is consistent with the country’s development orientation in the coming period. In particular, the eco-industrial park model is seen as the driving force to boost the circular economy.

According to Quan, the benefits of this transformation are great and long-lasting, but in the short term, many obstacles are preventing the transformation process from taking place as strongly as expected.

Smail Alhilali, Industrial Development Officer at the Department of Environment, UNIDO, said: “Promoting circular economy in industrial zones can help Vietnam to not only reduce environmental impacts but also create opportunities for innovation and green growth.”

Vietnam has a lot of potential. With existing support and available directions, Vietnam should learn from previous countries and successfully implement digital and energy transformation. The country should not only focusing on cleaner production and reduced emissions but also address the consumption issues.

The conference included discussion sessions on the important role of industrial parks in implementing circular economy principles, the opportunities and challenges of integrating circular economy activities between different industries in industrial parks, and others.

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Foreign offshore wind power investors can sell projects, Vietnam SOEs prioritized to buy

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Foreign investors of offshore wind power projects in Vietnam can sell their projects, and wholly state-owned enterprises (SOEs) or subsidiaries of those SOEs are prioritized to buy them.

The transaction is only permitted if the Vietnamese investors in the company refuse to purchase, according to the government’s Decree 58/2025 on renewable and new energy, effective from March 3, 2025.

Transactions of a part of an offshore wind project or an entire project must comply with the Electricity Law 2024 and other laws related to investment, enterprises, and sea.

They must be approved by the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade if there is involvement of foreign investors.

A sea-based wind power project in Tra Vinh province, Mekong Delta, southern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Trungnam Group.

A sea-based wind power project in Tra Vinh province, Mekong Delta, southern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Trungnam Group.

In cases of not-yet operational projects, the foreign buyers must meet the following requirements.

First, they must have experience in investing and developing at least one offshore wind power project that is operational in Vietnam or in the world. “Experience” includes direct investment, contributing a minimum 15% of the project’s total investment capital, and the ratio of equity to capital contribution being at least 20%.

Second, the foreign buyers must ensure that the offshore wind power project has the participation of domestic enterprises with at least 5% of chartered capital or voting shares of the company that implements such projects. The “domestic enterprises” must be wholly state-owned enterprises (SOEs) or firms with SOEs holding more than a 50% stake.

Third, they must commit to utilizing domestic supplies (workforce, service, products) during their investment, construction and operation, on the basis of ensuring competitiveness of prices, quality, schedule, and available capability.

For operational projects, the transations must meet the “second” requirement mentioned above.

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