Commercial banks are rushing to provide loans for green energy projects amid a wave of investment in the growing industry, dubbed a landmark for the country’s renewable energy outlook.
Vietcombank has recently approved a VND785 billion (US$33.55 million) loan for the BP Solar 1 project, which has total investment capital of VND1.2 trillion with designed output of 46MW in the south central coast province of Ninh Thuan.
The bank last month also signed a contract with the Dai Hai Power Investment and Development SJC to fund its VND1 trillion Srepok Solar 1, which has a designed output of 50MW.
Another bank – HDBank – has so far also planned to set aside up to VND7 trillion for the construction of green energy projects from now to 2020.
Under HDBank’s plans, it will lend to projects which were approved by the Government and reach their commercial operation date before June 30, 2019.
To qualify for the bank’s loans, borrowers must have a minimum equity of VND150 billion and the equity ratio in their projects must be at least 30 percent of the projects’ total investment capital. The bank also requires that all proceeds from the projects be transferred to the customers’ accounts at HDBank.
VietinBank has recently financed VND1 trillion for the 68.8 MW TTC 01 solar project in the southern province of Tay Ninh. The project has total investment of VND1.6 trillion.
Early this year, two banks – Agribank and Vietnam Development Bank – signed a contract to co-fund the Phong Dien solar power project in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.
The Phong Dien project, which has a designed output of 35 MW and total investment cost of VND838 billion, was recently inaugurated after just nine months of construction, becoming the first solar power plant to be put in to operation in the country.
The wave of investment in the renewable energy industry was spurred by the Government’s incentives and the country’s strong potential for solar and wind energy generation. Investors are also racing against time so their projects enjoy the Government’s preferential feed-in tariff (FiT).
According to the Government, only solar energy projects which reach commercial operation dates (COD) before June 30, 2019 qualify to enjoy the FiT of US$9.35 cents per kWh. The deadline for onshore and offshore wind power projects to get the FiT of VND1,928 (US$8.5 cents) and VND2,223 (US$9.8 cents) per kWh, respectively, is November 1, 2021.
With such prices, if they meet the deadline, renewable power projects will make significant profits as the power retail price currently averages at only VND1,720.65 per kWh (7.54 US cents).
The financial and business information corporation Stoxplus said that foreign and local investors are excited about renewable energy in Vietnam, which is expected to grow at 23.2% annually during 2020-2030.
There are some 245 renewable energy projects in Vietnam, including wind and solar power as well as biomass electricity, which are being deployed at different stages. If all these projects begin operation, the total capacity of the country’s renewable energy should reach 23.2GW, which is nearly 10 times higher than the target of 2.65GW by 2020 as indicated in the country’s Revised National Master Power Plan VII.
By 2030, Vietnam aims to rank among the world’s top 40 in the GII; raise total social investment in R&D to at least 2% of GDP, with non-State funding accounting for over 60%; increase international scientific publications by an average of 10% annually; and raise the number of patent applications and granted patents by an average of 16-18% annually.
The State Bank of Vietnam set the daily reference exchange rate at 25,624 VND/USD on October1, down 3 VND from the previous day.
Quang Ninh's GRDP grew 15.04% in the third quarter, also leading the country.
Vietnam needs flexible incentives and specialised green financial instruments, stronger inter-sectoral coordination, improved local governance capacity and a more complete MRV data system, said Ramla Khalidi, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam.
As the country enters a new development phase with greater demands for stronger marine-economy growth, institutional bottlenecks have emerged and need to be addressed.
Experts from the Institute of Vietnam and World Economy under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences noted the quality of recent growth as the high growth rate has been recorded against an increasingly higher comparative base.
Vietnam's Halal exports remain modest at around 900 million USD a year, accounting for less than 1% of the global market. Most exports are still raw agricultural and seafood products. Only around 1,000–1,300 Vietnamese businesses obtained or maintained Halal certification during 2024–2026.
Vietnam needs a comprehensive policy framework to remove legal and procedural bottlenecks and create conditions for offshore wind power projects to access long-term investment capital, helping to unlock the country’s substantial offshore wind potential, said insiders.
Under a decision of the municipal People’s Committee on establishing an inter-agency working group, departments and agencies are responsible for identifying facilities subject to greenhouse gas inventories, developing emissions-reduction plans and studying projects capable of generating carbon credits.
According to data from the Vietnam Customs cited by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), shrimp exports reached 478.5 million USD in August, up 4.2% from the same month last year. The eight-month total stood at 3.3 billion USD, representing a year-on-year increase of 12%.
Vietnam is seen as a potential market, with considerable room for growth in real estate, particularly commercial property, compared with some regional markets. Strong Vietnam-Russia ties and opportunities to establish foreign-invested enterprises are also considered favourable for Russian investors.
For 2021-2030, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam proposed bringing forward the investment in a parallel taxiway system and a connecting taxiway north of Runway No. 2 at Phu Quoc International Airport, in order to connect with the aircraft maintenance and repair facility (hangar) planned for the northern area of the airport.
For LNG-fired power to fulfill its role in Vietnam’s energy transition, bottlenecks in institutions, infrastructure, electricity pricing, PPAs, power dispatch and financing must be addressed together.
From policy and infrastructure to industrial real estate, Vietnam’s FDI advantages are broadening towards a more integrated production ecosystem, offering investors a stronger combination of conditions for high-value, technology-intensive and long-term projects.
As trade expands, systemic bottlenecks across transport networks, warehousing, ports, border gates, and industrial zones are becoming more apparent. Experts emphasise the need to shift from a fragmented, project-by-project approach toward strategic management structured around trade corridors and integrated supply chains.
The company will buy non-performing loans from credit institutions and foreign bank branches, recover and dispose of debts and collateral, restructure loans and support lenders in resolving bad debts.
Do Ngoc Hung, Trade Counsellor and head of the Vietnam Trade Office in the US, said what stands out is not only the growth in trade volume but also the increasingly deep economic ties between the two countries.
According to the Ministry of Finance, State budget revenue in the first eight months of 2026 was estimated at 2.02 quadrillion VND (77.7 billion USD), equivalent to 80% of the annual estimate and up 16% year-on-year. Domestic revenue reached 1.75 quadrillion VND, accounting for 86.6% of total revenue and rising 16.6%.
Hanoi aims to achieve average annual export growth of at least 12% during 2026-30, with the city seeking to diversify export markets, boost high-tech and value-added products and reduce reliance on traditional markets.
Great reliance on the state budget and conventional bank lending could put considerable pressure on the financial system, making it necessary to develop new and sustainable sources of funding from both domestic and international capital markets.