Vietnam’s wind energy potential is considerably higher compared to Thailand, Laos or Cambodia. A World Bank survey estimated the total potential of wind power at 513 360 MW equivalent to 200 times the output of Southeast Asia’s largest power plant, the Son La Hydroelectric Plant in northern Vietnam and ten times the entire national capacity forecast for 2020. Vietnam’s wind potential is significant in the central coastal region including Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Binh Dinh and the south, including Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Lam Dong, Tra Vinh and Soc Trang. Since the 1980s, the Institute of Energy (IE) was commissioned by the Ministry of Electricity (now Ministry of Industry and Trade) to review the erection of wind turbines on islands and in remote grid connected areas.

Observations and calculations showed that around 28 000 square kilometres of Vietnam have average wind speeds of 7 m/s to 9 m/s at a height of 65 meters. For instance, the average speeds at 65 meters is 7.6 m/s in Bach Long Vi, 6.3 m/s in Spratley, 6.8 m/s in Phu Quy, 4.9 m/s in Hon Dau, 4.4 m/s in Co To. 3TIER is a global leader in weather-driven renewable energy assessment and forecasting for wind projects of all sizes. It is able to provide high-level wind data including a wind energy potential map in Vietnam.