Solar and biomass plants at trading house's nearby industrial park to be tapped
Japanese trading house Sumitomo Corp. will make its smart city currently under development in Hanoi partially self-sufficient, tapping solar and biomass power generation facilities in a nearby industrial park to cover 30% to 40% of the city and industrial park's electricity.
The smart city is being developed in collaboration with major Vietnamese real estate developer BRG Group. Construction is slated to begin in 2025 with residents allowed to gradually move in from 2026. A centralized system for the city will allow residents to make reservations for restaurants and medical institutions, monitor electricity usage and track water levels of surrounding rivers as a disaster prevention measure.
The original move-in date was scheduled for 2022, but the project was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and changes in governments.
According to local media, some progress has recently been made, including land acquisition approval being granted in July.
The use of energy-efficient building materials is expected to reduce electricity consumption significantly compared with other urban areas in Vietnam.
Total solar and biomass generation capacity at the nearby industrial park, which was also built by Sumitomo, will exceed 200 megawatts. Investments, including energy-efficient equipment like heat pumps, are expected to total about 50 billion yen ($338 million).
In addition to placing solar panels on factory roofs, plans are under consideration to float them on the surface of a pond in the industrial park.
Storage batteries are also being considered so solar power can be used at night. Sumitomo aims to decarbonize 100% of the electricity consumed at the sites by 2030 by combining direct purchases from other renewable energy power plants and the use of carbon credits.
Sumitomo will also install power transmission lines between the smart city and industrial park, allowing more power to be shifted to factories during the workday and to homes at night and on holidays. Many businesses at the park have expressed an interest in housing workers in the smart city, which is roughly a five-minute drive away.
Vietnam aims for renewables to make up around 70% of its energy mix in 2050, up more than 40 percentage points from 2020.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Keigo Yoshida
Quelle/Source: Nikkei Asia, 17.08.2024
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