Key facts
- Erex will conduct its third biomass co-firing trial in Vietnam in September.
- The trial will take place at the 30MW Nong Son thermal power plant.
- The company aims for a co-firing rate of 10% wood chips and 30% wood pellets with coal.
- Erex has previously completed similar trials at two other Vinacomin plants.
- Commercial co-firing operations are planned for 2027-28 at two plants.
- Erex is seeking carbon credits from the Vietnamese government for these projects.
Japanese renewable energy developer Erex is set to conduct its third trial of co-firing coal with biomass at a Vietnamese power plant in September. The company announced that the test will take place at the 30MW Nong Son thermal power plant in Vietnam's central region, which is operated by the state-owned Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries (Vinacomin).
During the one-month trial, Erex aims to achieve a co-firing rate of 10% wood chips and 30% wood pellets alongside coal. This follows successful previous trials at Vinacomin's 110MW Na Duong plant, where up to 20% wood chips were used, and at the 115MW Cao Ngan plant, which burned up to 30% wood pellets.
Erex also has plans for a co-firing test at the 670MW Cam Pha thermal coal plant around 2027-28. The company and Vinacomin anticipate renovating the Na Duong and Cao Ngan plants in 2026-27 to commence commercial co-firing operations by 2027-28. The long-term goal is to implement co-firing at six of Vinacomin's thermal coal plants in Vietnam, with a combined capacity of 1,585MW.
These co-firing initiatives align with Vietnam's net-zero strategy, as the country currently depends on coal for approximately one-third of its electricity demand, with consumption rising 10% annually. Vietnam is exploring biomass fuels as a self-sufficient renewable energy source.
Furthermore, Erex is in discussions with the Vietnamese government regarding carbon credits generated from these co-firing projects and is considering selling some credits to Japanese firms once commercial operations commence.