Upon addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg Nguyen Van Thao said that despite the positive signs moving into the “new normal” period after two years of being negatively impacted by COVID-19, the global economic environment has remains fragile. This can be put down to various factors, including geopolitical uncertainties, new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus emerging, severe disruption in supply chains, pressures from rising inflation, challenges in sustainable development, and the unpredictable impact of climate change.
As a coastal country that suffers regularly from natural disasters, the country fully understands the value of sustainable development, as well as economic development, being done alongside environmental protection, stressed the Ambassador.
He noted that at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in the UK, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh gave a commitment on achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, which is considered a historic turning point for the nation.
Ambassador Thao therefore affirmed that co-operation potential that exists between Vietnam and Belgium, with the Central European country being a world leading provider of environmentally-friendly solutions and a hub of modern seaports in Europe, as well as boasting renewable energy and green port development.
In order to reach the target of net-zero emissions, Vietnam should strive to increase its capacity of generating renewable energy, especially in terms of solar and wind power, participants said.
Marc Stordiau, chairman of the International Port Engineering & Investments Ltd (IPEI), said that the firm is working alongside Vietnamese partners to strengthen investment in green energy by supporting the country to build wind power stations in Binh Thuan province.
IPEI is also in the process of piloting a model of "Water by Wind" (WbW) in Ninh Thuan province for the 2020 to 2022 period, Stordiau said, adding that the objective of the project is to seek solutions to supply fresh water serving agricultural production. This scheme will also help the daily life of people residing in areas facing difficult natural conditions, including those in the southcentral coastal and Mekong Delta region through a water desalination system using wind and solar energy.
Kim Demeyer, a FITA scientific and technical advisor, outlined that Vietnam is an attractive destination for foreign energy investors. In particular, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has created favourable conditions for European financiers when investing in the country.
As a co-ordinator connecting Belgian companies and Vietnamese firms, Eve Devoldere, a trade and investment counselor of the FITA Office in Vietnam, highly values the local investment and business environment, particularly in the field of green energy.
During the course of the seminar, speakers all affirmed that the nation boasts great potential to boost renewable energy development. Stordiau added that Vietnam must focus on building a better electricity network, strengthening the connectivity of offshore wind farms to the coast, as well as redefining the tariff for offshore wind power development activities.
