Solargis supports Vietnamese renewables integration with advanced forecasting for NLDC

Vietnamese grid operator, NLDC, contracts Solargis to provide forecasting data for over 7GW of solar and wind capacity as the market continues rapid growth

15^th March, Hanoi – Solargis, the data and software architect for bankable solar investments, has been appointed by the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC) of Vietnam to supply advanced production forecasting data that will support the integration of large volumes of renewable energy into the national grid.

The contract with NLDC – a subsidiary of state-owned utility Electricity Vietnam – will see Solargis weather data used to evaluate and forecast production over 140 solar power plants and 40 wind plants in Vietnam, with a combined generation capacity of around 7.3GW. 

As Vietnam brings new renewables capacity online to meet ambitious growth targets, accurate production forecasting plays a critical role in smooth grid integration. In particular, managing challenges relating to intermittency of supply, such as power congestion, grid overload and frequency oscillation will be essential for accommodating new solar and wind projects and realising the full potential of Vietnam’s renewable energy investment.

In order to meet this need, NLDC, which is responsible for performing load dispatching, power market trading and other vital electricity activities throughout Vietnam, has chosen to integrate Solargis data into its systems. Solargis’ forecasting services will help NLDC to accurately predict the power output of installed wind and solar plants, based on high-resolution meteorological and solar radiation data.

This will increase NLDC’s responsiveness to resource fluctuations and improve the overall reliability of the transmission system. In turn, the contract will enable NLDC to set a new benchmark for effective grid operation in Vietnam and throughout South East Asia.

By leveraging aggregated historical data from across the whole country, the agreement represents a wider shift towards improved forecasting accuracy in Vietnam. It will also lead to power estimations that are accurate for neighbouring countries with similar climate and physical conditions, bringing with it a step-change for the wider region.

Marcel Suri, Managing Director, Solargis, said: “By using high-resolution historical data for new power plants, we can support effective grid integration and maintain the momentum currently building for renewables in Vietnam. Working with NLDC to deliver greater insight into resource risk and renewables production in Vietnam will in turn bring lessons learnt and benefits that are felt more widely in South East Asia.”

Mr Nguyen Quoc Trung, Deputy Director, NLDC, said: “Accurate forecasting is a critical requirement in a modern power grid, and as we support Vietnam’s transition towards clean energy, plays a key role in planning our day-to-day dispatch activities. Solargis offers accurate and reliable solar resource and weather data, and we have been able to capitalise on the team’s extensive experience bringing advanced forecasting services to energy markets worldwide.”

About Solargis:

Solargis is a data and software architect for bankable solar investments.

Solargis works with solar stakeholders throughout the lifetime of their projects and portfolios, reducing risk and creating transparency with the most accurate and reliable solar data on the market.

Solargis data and software platform helps the industry to simplify the process of energy assessment, maximise asset performance, and forecast long and short-term production and returns.

Solargis data have helped develop 150+ GW of assets worldwide and are used for monitoring and forecasting of solar power plants with a combined capacity of 40+ GW.

For more information, please visit: https://solargis.com/

About NLDC: 

Established in 1994, the National Load Dispatch Centre is a subsidiary of Electricity Vietnam (EVN), a state-owned utility and the largest power company in Vietnam.

NLDC is responsible for performing duties such as system analysis, generation scheduling, load dispatching and power market trading to help ensure grid stability throughout Vietnam.

For more information, please visit: https://en.evn.com.vn/