Good winds blowing in Vietnam

With rapidly rising demand for energy, Vietnam is urgently seeking to increase its share in the wind energy sector. Tractebel, a leading engineering consultant for wind power in South East Asia, involved in over 600MW of wind farms only in Thailand (over 50% of the country’s installed capacity), entered into a contract with The Blue Circle to be their Owner’s Engineer for Vietnam’s Dai Phong 40MW wind farm.

This is Tractebel’s first Owner’s Engineering project in Vietnam led by our team based in Bangkok under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) contract. Supasart CHANINDHAPONGSATHON, Tractebel’s Project Manager, shares more about Dhai Phong project in an interview here after.

Tractebel has been involved in several wind power projects in South East Asia. Why is Dai Phong Wind Farm different?

Dai Phong is the first Owner’s Engineer Project for Tractebel in Vietnam under an “Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management” (EPCM) contract. The first time is always challenging but very exciting as well. 

As the Owner’s Engineer, Tractebel is involved in procurement, design review, planning, construction supervision and commissioning at Dai Phong. This type of contact with developers and investors is more and more common in Vietnam. It shows that the country’s wind power sector has grown in maturity and experience.   

Tractebel grew in maturity and experience in this region, too. The core team is composed of local engineers and project managers and we are proud to say that we are able to cope with more and more complex projects locally on our own.

It is very rewarding to be in a growing organization that continues to push its limits.

For the client, what is the value in engaging with Tractebel?

First, Tractebel remains a major actor in the region in wind power, we have already demonstrated our capacity in the past. Clients invest in our know-how.

Moreover, they rely on us to maximize their assets in terms of costs – thanks to improved negotiations –  and timeline. Beyond technical concerns, the biggest challenges for Tractebel on such a project are to facilitate communication between five different contracting parties, in order to meet the schedule and carry out the activities. All the necessary resources are mobilized to make it happen.  

In other words, Tractebel participates, alongside the client and the other actors of the project, to set new standards and international best practices in Vietnam’s “green” power market.

What are the next steps regarding the project?

We expect the first concreting phase in the next days. The road construction and the laying of foundations in mid-November will follow, the same time as the signing of the transmission line contract. And, finally, the installation of the wind turbines is planned in the beginning of December. 

Dai Phong will be an additional great reference for Tractebel in the South East Asia. The project team is fully committed to make a success out of it. Doing so would help enhance the position of Tractebel as a key player in the upcoming wave of similar projects not only in Vietnam, but also in Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia.

Would you like to know more about Dai Phong project and our wind expertise in South East Asia? Contact Supasart Chanindhapongsathon: supasart.chanindhapongsathon@tractebel.engie.com

Coordination meeting at The Blue Circle office in Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam. From left to right: Manoel Buisson – Construction Manager of The Blue Circle, Knot Kooyasith – Site Manager of Tractebel, Olivier Duguet – CEO of The Blue Circle, Supasart Chanindhapongsathon – Project Manager of Tractebel, Herve Grillot – Construction Director of The Blue Circle,  Felix Lin – Senior Procurement Manager of The Blue Circle and Le Thanh Thoa – Substation Package Manager of The Blue Circle