EVN learns experience in power system operation and WP development from the UK

At COP26, the Prime Minister of the Vietnam Government committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and supported the transition to renewable energy.

In the UK, the EVN mission had working meetings with governmental agencies and enterprises such as the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Department for International Trade (DIT), National Grid the Government, and British businesses, including the Department of Energy Security (BEIS), Department of Economy and Trade (DIT), Corporation National Grid, Power System Dispatch Centers, The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM), companies as BP, Crown Estate, Carbon Trust and several chain companies for supplying products and services of the offshore wind power development.

During the working meetings, the British experts said that the UK was the world leader in offshore wind power at the end of 2008 after overcoming Denmark.

In the UK, there are 14 regions, with 8 dispatch centers performing dispatch in the whole power system. The National Grid is the National Grid Corporation and one of the largest energy companies in the world.

Currently, the total electricity of the system is 334.2 billion kWh, the installed capacity is 76.6 GW. The Electricity from renewable energy projects is up to 122.2 billion kWh, accounting for about 40% of the whole system, of which wind power is 64.7 billion kWh. The capacity of offshore wind power projects is 13.8 GW, expected to grow to 50 GW by 2030 and 125 GW by 2050.

The price of wind power in the UK currently is 37 GBP/MWh (1 GBP = 1.23 USD).

Regarding the operation of the power system, the balance of electricity supply and demand is always guaranteed. The National Grid carries out the services to balance electricity supply - demand, to use large-scale renewable energy for balancing the system such as cutting capacity when supply exceeds demand. The National Grid focuses on developing and applying new technologies to respond to climate change and sustainability challenges. The wind power industry plays a key role in reducing the carbon of the electricity sector in the UK and in the whole world. The UK power system applies many advanced solutions, technologies, and modern equipment to reduce power loss at the lowest level. At the companies in the supply chain for products and services to develop offshore wind power projects, the EVN mission shared the practical experiences, activities, initiatives, technologies, and strategies applied to support developing offshore wind power projects.

In an exchange with UK enterprises, Mr. Nguyen Tai Anh said that the RE and wind power projects had developed strongly in Vietnam in recent years, especially in the years 2019 - 2021. Vietnam currently does not have a full legal framework and standards in wind power development and would like to learn from experience from the UK. The Vietnamese government is encouraging the localization of products, services, and benefits related to wind power development, so it is necessary to learn from international experiences.

Many British standards are also applied in different fields in Vietnam. Therefore, according to Mr. Nguyen Tai Anh, the information shared by UK experts on regulations and standards for developing onshore and offshore wind power projects can be applied in Vietnam. Hopefully, in the coming time, Vietnam's electricity industry will continue to receive support from the British Embassy for British experts to come to Vietnam to conduct training and share practical experience in operating the power system, developing offshore wind power projects, helping EVN to invest, develop a modern power grid, operate safely and efficiently and reduce emissions, forwards contributing to achieving the goals that the Governments of the two countries committed at COP26.