Legal arrangements intensify for Vietnamese wind industry

Vietnam is accelerating efforts to establish a dedicated legal framework for offshore wind development, as policymakers seek to balance energy security, industrial competitiveness, and ambitious net-zero commitments amid intensifying regional competition for clean energy investment.

- Nguyen Thu

(Photo: Shutterstock)

At a government meeting on May 19 chaired by Politburo member and Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc alongside Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau, ministries discussed a draft decree guiding the implementation of Resolution No.253/2025/QH15 on national energy development policies for 2026-2030.

The draft decree is expected to become one of the most significant regulatory foundations shaping Vietnam’s offshore wind (OSW) industry over the coming decade. It includes provisions covering power planning adjustments, investor qualification requirements, offshore survey approvals, licensing procedures, and coordination mechanisms among ministries during project implementation.

Officials attending the meeting agreed that the decree needs to be issued urgently in order to close legal gaps, accelerate project preparation, and avoid overlapping survey proposals for the same OSW sites.

The discussions come at a time when OSW is increasingly being viewed not only as a renewable energy source, but also as part of a broader economic and industrial strategy across Asia-Pacific.

According to the revised Power Development Plan VIII, Vietnam aims to develop 6GW of OSW capacity by 2030, increasing to 17.5GW by 2035 and potentially reaching 113-139GW by 2050.

Yet despite years of investor interest and multiple survey proposals, no OSW undertaking has secured investment approval. That gap between policy ambition and actual implementation is becoming increasingly pressing given the long lead times associated with OSW development.

Large-scale OSW projects typically require 6-8 years of preparation, including wind measurement campaigns, seabed geological surveys, environmental impact assessments, financing arrangements, transmission planning, and construction.