Signing contracts of site investigation for the La Gan offshore wind project

Wednesday, Oct 28, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), Asia Petroleum Energy and Novasia Energy, the joint developers of the 3.5 GW La Gan offshore wind farm project, signed two major site investigation contracts worth approximately US$ 5 million: the Floating LiDAR contract and the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) contract

The signings were witnessed by the Danish Ambassador to Vietnam and representatives from relevant local authorities in Vietnam.

The Floating LiDAR contract was awarded to AXYS Technologies, a world leading technology company with 46 years experience in ocean and wind data solutions. AXYS will engage several Vietnamese subcontractors, including Petrosetco, Vietnam Coast Guard, and Rynan Technologies.

Through this contract the La Gan project will deploy the highest technology within wind and wave measurement equipment off the coast of Binh Thuan, and be one of the first large scale projects to measure wind and wave conditions in the area.

The ESIA contract was awarded to NIRAS Group, a Danish parented company with extensive global experience in conducting environmental and social assessments for offshore wind projects.

NIRAS will closely work with several Vietnamese sub-contractors, including the Power Engineering Consulting JSC. No. 3 (PECC3), Vietnam Petroleum Institute - Center for Petroleum Safety and Environment (VPI-CPSE), Wild Tour & Research Service Co., LTD (Bird Vietnam), and the Center of Help for Indigenous Value Promotion and Sustainable Environment (CHIASE). Together they will collect data, model results and design mitigations to ensure that the La Gan project minimises any negative environmental and social impacts and is delivered to the highest international standards.

"I believe the collaborations between industry-leading international and renowned local companies will greatly contribute to knowledge transfer in the offshore wind industry of Vietnam.

The La Gan offshore wind project with its estimated 3.5 GW capacity could definitely be a good pick for the government of Vietnam to include in the Power Development Plan 8, not only to create a good starting momentum for the sector, but also to demonstrate the government’s keen and strong interest in transforming the Vietnamese energy sector into being more green and sustainable.’’ said H.E. Mr. Kim Højlund Christensen, Ambassador of Denmark in Vietnam.

"Understanding characteristics of the site is critical to maturing the design concept and ensuring the right development of an offshore wind project. We are very pleased to award the Floating LiDAR and ESIA contracts to AXYS and NIRAS, who are world leading experts in their fields. We also greatly support their engagement of Vietnamese sub-contractors such as Petrosetco, Vietnam Coast Guard, PECC3, and VPI-CPSE, which will develop the local supply chain and facilitate transfer of knowledge.

The signings of the multimillion-dollar site investigation contracts today demonstrate CIP, Asiapetro and Novasia’s serious commitment to developing the La Gan offshore wind project. With the support of our local partners and contractors, we are confident in developing a world class offshore wind project to the highest industry standards in Vietnam’ said Mr. Michael Hannibal, Partner at CIP.

Since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Binh Thuan People’s Committee in July 2020, the La Gan offshore wind project has actively progressed development activities, including preparation for site surveys, as well as applications for Power Development Plan 8 inclusion and survey licence approval.

With an estimated capital expenditure of up to US$ 10 billion and a capacity of 3.5 GW, the project is one of the first large scale offshore wind projects in Vietnam. The project will generate significant job opportunities for both Binh Thuan and Vietnam and serve as a precedent for attracting other foreign investors in offshore wind projects to Vietnam.