First rural solar-power grid to start in June

The first rural, solar-power grid will be installed in the central province of Quang Binh under an agreement signed by Schneider Electric Vietnam and the province earlier this week.

The Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) pilot project will be jointly sponsored by Quang Binh, Energy Assistance France, and the Schneider Electric Foundation.

More than 35 households will benefit from the solar power station that is connected to an independent mini-grid system.

The project, which is expected to begin generating power by the end of June, will operate like a non-profit business.

If successful, similar projects could be deployed on a wider scale and assisted by preferred loan schemes that would be supported by international funding, said Country President of Schneider Electric Vietnam, Oliver Jacquet.

“I hope the project is a great step towards sustainable economic development for the remote, rural areas in Vietnam,” said Jacquet.

This project is part of the Bip-Bop programme that has been initiated by Schneider Electronic to bring green, clean, safe and sustainable electricity to 1.6 billion people in the world, who still have no access to electricity.

Tags: Vietnam energy, Vietnam solar-power