Thumbs up for first wind plant 6/3/2009 Lam Dong — The Lam Dong People’s Committee granted the licence for construction of the province’s first wind power plant in Da Lat. Cavico Transport Joint Stock Company, the project investor, worked in Da Lat for about a year to complete a feasibility assessment for erecting wind turbines in the region. The company said the city’s Tram Hanh Commune, at an elevation of 1,600m above sea level with high wind levels, had good conditions for development of a wind power plant. The Build-Own-Operate project, valued at US$57 million, will have two turbines covering 2ha. It will provide 90 million kWh of electricity annually. Although Lam Dong does not generally suffer from a shortage of electricity, the plant will help meet the country’s increasing demand for power when connected to the national grid. This type of power plant does not contribute to the greenhouse effect in the way that thermal power plants do, said a company spokesperson. The provincial people’s committee said the locality had a regional potential and advantage for building this type of plant and that it would call for more investors to develop environmentally friendly energy in the area. Construction of the power plant in Tram Hanh Commune is expected to be completed by 2011. — VNS Source: Viet Nam News, June 2, 2009