GIA LAI, Vietnam, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Across a vast stretch of white sandy land once considered unsuitable for cultivation in central Vietnam's Gia Lai province, rows upon rows of solar panels shimmer under the tropical sun, turning the landscape into a source of clean electricity.
The Phu My Solar Power Plant, with a total installed capacity of 330 MWp, covers more than 323 hectares and comprises over 750,000 photovoltaic panels, making it one of Vietnam's largest solar power projects.
"Each year, the project can provide about 520 million kWh of clean electricity and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 400,000 tonnes," said Zhang Huibing, general manager of the Asia-Pacific headquarters of PowerChina's Jiangxi Electric Power Engineering Co., Ltd.
Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina) undertook the Phu My project on an engineering, procurement and construction basis, covering design, procurement of equipment and materials, and construction.
The contribution comes as Vietnam works toward its pledge, made at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2021, to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
In the first half of 2026, solar power generated 14.59 billion kWh of electricity, accounting for about 8.5 percent of Vietnam's total electricity output, compared with 54.5 percent from coal-fired power and 21 percent from hydropower, according to state utility Vietnam Electricity.
Vietnam's electricity demand is also rising alongside economic growth, with the Ministry of Industry and Trade saying the country's goal of annual economic growth of at least 10 percent through the end of the decade will require more power for industrial production, industrial parks and broader economic activity.
Hoang Quoc Dung, an executive board member of the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment, said Vietnam has seen a surge in energy demand in recent years, while climate change is severely affecting the southern part of the country.
"Chinese companies are playing a very significant role in advancing the green transition in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries," Dung said, adding that their participation has helped lower equipment costs, shorten construction periods and accelerate the expansion of renewable energy capacity.
The project's impact extends beyond the electricity fed into the grid.
"The project has transformed 323.5 hectares of low-value white sandy land into land with economic value," said Huynh Tan Huy, deputy general director of Clean Energy Vision Development Joint Stock Company, the plant's operator.
The project has also created jobs and opportunities for local workers to acquire technical skills.
PowerChina said it created about 3,100 jobs during construction and provided technical training to more than 500 local personnel, helping build a Vietnamese workforce with experience in solar power construction and operation.
Tran Thanh Tung joined the plant shortly after graduating from university and has now worked there for about six years, receiving training in equipment operation and maintenance while working alongside Chinese specialists.
"The Chinese colleagues are very friendly and easygoing, and they are always willing to help the plant whenever problems occur," Tung told Xinhua.
For Tung, the project has also provided stable employment close to home.
"It gives us a stable and long-term source of income as local people who have the opportunity to work here," he added. ■
