Enterprize Energy commissioned geo-data specialist Fugro and local partner PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSE) to install the first floating LiDAR survey technology in Vietnamese waters at the site of the 3.4GW Thang Long offshore windfarm. This is the first time such technology has been used in Vietnam.
This announcement for the installation of floating LiDAR marks the next step in the surveying process for Thang Long, the only large-scale offshore wind farm to be granted a survey licence by the Vietnamese government. To date, a full year of wind data measurements has been collected via fixed LiDAR to assess resource over the allocated area, with reconnaissance surveys to support the project team’s understanding of geological and seabed features occurring earlier this year. Based on initial results, Enterprize Energy has confirmed there will be no reduction in prospective area due to unsuitable seabed features such as basalt intrusions.
Enterprize Energy has engaged Fugro and its local partner, PTSE, to deploy Fugro’s ‘SEAWATCH Wind LiDAR Buoy’ to collect detailed wind resource, meteorological, and oceanographic data across the 2000 km2 project site over the next 12 months. The technology – comprising the SEAWATCH Wavescan Buoy as a platform into which the ZX 300M LiDAR is integrated – will track air pressure, humidity, air and water temperature, wave height and current, with support from a guard vessel which will also track fishery activity and supplementary ocean data from its own onboard sensors.
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Ian Hatton, Chairman, Enterprize Energy, states that contracting Fugro and their local partner PTSE to install the first floating LiDAR technology in Vietnam at the Thang Long project site was a “natural decision”.
Says Hatton: “The data the team will collect is central to informing the next stages in Thang Long’s development process, including long-term financial modelling and power purchase agreements.
“The results from our initial marine survey demonstrate that, as we had predicted during our proposal for a survey license, a majority of the seabed throughout the Thang Long Zone is suitable for placing turbines. Now, we can quantify how much energy can be generated throughout the project based on using all of the seabeds we initially planned to build on.
“We are delighted to have taken another step towards harnessing the incredible wind resource off the coast of Binh Thuan, bringing a further 3.4GW of renewables into Vietnam’s energy mix and opening up the opportunity for even more green energy capacity as we explore the potential for energy storage. We have lain the foundation upon which the full potential of the Thang Long zone can be released for the benefit of the Vietnamese people, in line with national planning and policies.”
Truong Tuan Nghia, Director of PTSC G&S also stated: “Today’s signing ceremony shows our respect for the cooperation with Enterprize Energy, and this is an important milestone for our next steps in the future. PTSC G&S believes that, with the experience of leading experts, technical facilities and high-class equipment, can provide the best service in developing the Thang Long Wind project.
“With the support from Enterprize Energy, together with our long-standing partner ” Fugro Singapore Marine, and commitment from all levels of our organization, PTSC G&S is fully confident that the project will be completed within the agreed time schedule, to the highest quality and safety standards”.
At the virtual contract signature ceremony, Emily Hamblin, British Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, commented: “The timing of this signing is particularly apt. We are very pleased that COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma will be visiting Vietnam to discuss Vietnam’s clean energy ambitions and explore further collaboration in the run-up to the November COP26 Climate Summit, to be hosted in the UK. We see this as a critical opportunity for meaningful international action on climate ” we hope Vietnam will be a central part of that conversation and show visible leadership through the adoption of renewables.”
The first 600MW phase of the 3.4GW Thang Long offshore wind farm is due to come online by the end of 2025, with further phases developed on a rolling basis.
Offshore wind in Vietnam is increasingly recognised as the primary route to decarbonising the country’s energy supply, with its southern waters ranked in the top 10 per cent of global wind locations. In 2018, Enterprize Energy brought the potential of offshore wind energy off the coast of the Binh Thuan Province to the attention of the Vietnamese government, with a focus on accessing the best resource and identifying opportunities for grid stability solutions such as hydrogen storage.
