Southern Central Coast Provinces Plan an Alternative Energy Future

Pham Thanh Nhan and Doug Sonnek, along with GreenEnergy’s David Granger, visiting a GreenEnergy Jatropha plantation

From biofuel stock plantations growing in otherwise barren Ninh Thuan soil to 85-meter wind turbines just waiting to harness the coastal Binh Thuan breezes, alternative energy projects are popping up throughout the southeast coastal provinces. Given the long coastline, creative minds also suggest that tidal power may one day thrive here as well. From June 16 to 18, government officials, non-governmental organizations, farmer cooperatives and joint-stock companies all told U.S. Consulate Economic Specialist Pham Thanh Nhan and Economic Officer Doug Sonnek that alternative energy plays to the region’s strengths: sun, wind and surf. Many more alternative energy projects have been licensed or are in development. In the meantime, agriculture and agriculture industry will remain the primary engine of the region’s economy.