Pacifico Energy has secured a site survey license for a 500 MW offshore wind project in Vietnam, according to a social media post by the U.S. renewables developer. This milestone adds to the wave of transition toward integrated renewables in the country. The approval also allows Pacifico Energy Group (PEG) through its Ho Chi Minh City-based arm, Pacifico Energy to begin critical early-stage assessments, including wind resource measurement, seabed surveys, and environmental studies. These will lay the groundwork for what could become a utility-scale offshore wind installation.

This site survey award for a 500 MW offshore wind farm in Vietnam also aligns with Pacifico Energy’s broader strategy which has been highlighted in recent corporate updates. This is to expand beyond standalone renewable projects into offshore wind energy systems integrated with grid and industrial power demand.

Scope and development stage of Pacifico Energy’s 500 MW offshore wind project in Vietnam

The 500 MW project by Pacifico Energy in Vietnam marks the company’s entry into utility-scale offshore wind development in Vietnam.

Key specs of the development include:

Capacity: 500 MW

Developer: Pacifico Energy

Technology: Offshore wind

Stage: Site survey / pre-development

Scope of work:

• Wind assessment
• Geotechnical and seabed surveys
• Environmental and social impact studies

National priorities being met include:

• Energy security by reducing reliance on imported fuels
• Industrial power demand by supporting manufacturing and data infrastructure growth
• Net-zero commitments by scaling clean energy alternatives

Pacifico’s existing projects in Vietnam

Pacifico Energy’s offshore ambitions are supported by an established local track record, including:

• 40 MW Mui Ne Solar Plant
• 30 MW Sunpro Wind Farm, which is operational and supplying power to the national grid

Vietnam’s offshore wind landscape

Vietnam is also focusing on offshore wind for its long-term energy mix under the Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8). The main reasons for this include:

• The increasing electricity demand from industrialization
• The need to reduce reliance on coal imports
• Net-zero commitments by 2050

Additionally, offshore wind offers higher capacity factors, larger project capacities, and proximity to coastal demand hubs. Renewables such as solar and wind could also be used to power other grid-scale energy storage systems like the Bac Ai Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant currently under construction, ahead of 2029 first power.

Pacifico Energy’s site survey licenses are also important in the project’s development. This is because it grants the developer early access to identify viable sites and establish development priority in what is still a relatively underdeveloped regulatory environment.

The company’s global platform has also mobilized over $5 billion in energy infrastructure investments. This allows it to fund capital-intensive endeavors such as this offshore wind development.