VĨNH LONG — Vĩnh Long Province is stepping up efforts to attract strategic partners from Singapore as it seeks to accelerate renewable energy development and promote eco-industrial and smart industrial parks in line with its green growth ambitions.

During a working session held earlier this week, provincial leaders held discussions with representatives of Sembcorp Industries to explore cooperation opportunities in the fields of energy, renewable power and the development of industrial and economic zones across the province.

At the meeting, Lawrence Chan, head of Việt Nam Industrial Parks Management and Integrated Urban Solutions at Sembcorp Industries, said the group is an international enterprise specialising in energy and urban development, with a strong focus on driving the energy transition in a sustainable and responsible manner.

After nearly three decades of presence in Việt Nam, the Việt Nam–Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) model has become a solid platform for industrial growth and community development, he noted.

VSIP projects nationwide now span about 12,000 hectares, with total registered investment exceeding US$23 billion and providing employment for roughly 340,000 workers.

Sembcorp has aligned its operations with Việt Nam’s national energy transition strategy, contributing to initiatives such as power grid stabilisation and cross-border energy trading in the region.

The group also places strong emphasis on technology collaboration and the development of local ecosystems to help provinces attract investment and generate high-quality employment.

Commending Vĩnh Long’s development vision for the 2026–30 period, Chan said Sembcorp is keen to further understand the province’s priority sectors.

He reaffirmed the group’s readiness to share technical expertise, operational experience and pilot ideas related to green industrial parks, renewable power supply, water solutions and digital connectivity.

Chairman of the Vĩnh Long Province People’s Committee Trần Trí Quang spoke highly of Sembcorp’s reputation and experience in clean energy, smart industrial parks and sustainable infrastructure.

He said the group’s emphasis on innovation, efficiency and green development is well aligned with Vĩnh Long’s current development orientation.

The provincial leader proposed continued discussions on investment directions for eco-industrial and smart industrial parks that meet strict environmental standards while attracting clean technology and high value-added industries.

He also called for closer cooperation in renewable energy development, carbon emission reduction models and integrated solutions for future urban development in the province.

Vĩnh Long authorities affirmed their commitment to accompanying investors throughout the process of survey, research and project implementation.

Relevant departments and localities will work closely to promptly address any difficulties, while administrative procedures will be streamlined to ensure transparency and compliance with legal regulations.

According to Phạm Thu Hằng, director of the Việt Nam–Singapore Senior Management Forum, Vĩnh Long has significant advantages in wind power and biomass energy and should be oriented towards becoming a regional hub for clean and renewable energy.

With its strong agricultural base, the province should also prioritise attracting investment into high-tech agriculture, particularly post-harvest processing.

Following administrative consolidation, Vĩnh Long has emerged as the country’s largest coconut-growing area, creating favourable conditions for developing carbon credits from this crop.

Clean energy, high-tech agriculture and carbon credit development were identified as three strategic pillars for the province’s future growth.

Provincial authorities noted that Vĩnh Long now enjoys enhanced investment opportunities thanks to its central location in the Mekong Delta and an approximately 130-kilometre coastline.

These advantages support the development of onshore and nearshore wind power and position the province as a potential logistics hub for the region. Strong output in fruit cultivation and aquaculture further underpins prospects for agro-processing and advanced agricultural industries.

Under the national power development plan, Vĩnh Long has been allocated a total capacity of 6,462 megawatts, including 4,966 megawatts of onshore and nearshore wind power, 339 megawatts of utility-scale solar, 55 megawatts of biomass, 57 megawatts of waste-to-energy and 1,045 megawatts of distributed rooftop solar.

In addition, offshore wind potential is estimated at around 30,000 megawatts.

To date, projects with a combined capacity of 5,430 megawatts have been put into commercial operation.

More than 3,000 megawatts of coastal wind power, 150 megawatts of solar power, 30 megawatts of biomass and 35 megawatts of waste-to-energy projects are currently preparing or completing procedures to attract investors.

In terms of industrial development, the province is home to the Định An Economic Zone, covering 39,020 hectares with 48 valid secondary investment projects.

Five industrial parks are already operational, while six others, with a total area of 1,473 hectares, are under infrastructure development with domestic investment totalling VNĐ13.87 trillion (about US$560 million).

In the urban and housing sector, Vĩnh Long is also calling for investment in 30 projects listed for the 2025–30 period, underscoring its ambition to attract sustainable, high-quality development capital. — VNS