Construction of the first wind power farm in Viet Nam’s Central Highlands was kicked off in Dlie-Yang Commune in Dak Lak Province’s Ea H’leo District on Friday.

The wind power farm is designed to generate 450 million kWh per year, according to HBRE Wind Power Solution Ltd., the investor of the VND6 trillion (over US$280 million) wind power project.

Licensed by Dak Lak People’s Committee, HBRE Wind Power Solution envisages implementing the project in three phases to 2020, with total designed capacity of 120MW.

Phase I, with capacity of 28MW and total investment of nearly VND1,400 billion ($66.6 million), is scheduled to generate electricity by June 2016, producing more than 100,000,000kWh per year.

In 2020, when all three phases are completed, the Central Highlands wind power farm is expected to become the largest-capacity wind farm in Viet Nam, meeting demand for power consumption of 200,000 households.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of the wind-power project, Y Dham Enuoi, deputy chairman of Dak Lak Province People’s Committee, said the project played an important role in socio-economic development of the Central Highlands province.

"The construction of the wind power farm is a good sign for the development of renewable energy in Dak Lak Province. Its operation will not only create more job opportunities but also help stabilise national energy sources," said Enuoi.

"The wind-power farm will also create new landscapes to attract more visitors and promote tourism in the region," he added.

Pham Trong Thuc, head of the Department for the New and Renewable Energy under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said total output of wind power stations in the Central Highlands, mainly located in the provinces of Dak Lak and Gia Lai and estimated at 1,350MW, accounts for 25 per cent of the potential of national wind power energy.

About 50 wind power projects have been proposed for the country, with total designed capacity of 4,800MW. Two projects, with a combined output of 46MW, have been brought into operation.

The Central Highlands’ Wind Power Farm is the third project of its kind under construction in Viet Nam, Thuc said.