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Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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Page 1: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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OLIVER MASSMANN - Partner, General Director DUANE MORRIS VIETNAM LLC

INVESTING IN SOLAR ENERGY IN VIETNAMHow to do it right?

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Page 2: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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AGENDA

• POTENTIAL OF SOLAR ENERGY INDUSTRY IN VIETNAM

• GOVERNMENT’S POLICIES ON RENEWABLE (SOLAR) ENERGY

• MARKET ACCESS FOR FOREIGN INVESTORS• RECOMMENDATIONS

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Page 3: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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Energy Sector Background• Electricity demand is expected

to increase by up to 14.2 pct. annually for the 2011-2015 period, 11.4 pct. for the 2016-2020 period and 7 times to 800 billion Kwh in 2030

• Electricity consumption is projected to increase from 85,932 gigawatt hours (GWh) in 2010 to 251,763 GWh in 2020

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Page 4: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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POTENTIAL OF SOLAR ENERGY INDUSTRY IN VIETNAM

• Total number of sunshine hours up to 1400 – 3000 hours/year

• Potential: 4-6 kWh/m2 • Current use: 5 MW• Solar energy can be used for water boiling, power

production and other purposes, as e.g. drying, cooking etc.

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Page 5: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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GOVERNMENT’S POLICIES ON RENEWABLE (SOLAR) ENERGY• Viet Nam currently does not have a full-fledged legal framework

on renewable energy, especially solar energy investment. • Amended National Master Plan VII in Decision 48/QD-TTg

dated 18 March 2016• Decision No. 2068/QD-TTg specifically on development plan for

renewable energy (biomass, wind, and solar energy) until 2030 and with a vision to 2050

• Draft Decision on supporting regime for solar power projects is now being re-amended by the General Directorate of Energy (MOIT) after being considered by the new Prime Minister

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Page 6: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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Amended Power Master Plan VII on the development of electricity in Vietnam• Amended Master Plan VII focuses on energy security, energy efficiency, renewable

energy development and power market liberalization• Objectives:

– To increase the aggregate output of imported and produced electricity to 235-245 billion kWh by 2020; 352 – 379 billion kWh by 2025 and 506 – 559 billion kWh by 2030

– To prioritize to develop renewable energy generation so that the proportion of electricity generation of renewable energy will be increased from the present 3.5% of the total electricity production to 7% in 2020 and 10% in 2030

– To promote the rural electrification program so that most of the rural households will have access to the electricity by 2020

– To build flexible operation of electricity grid, high automation of the transmission to distribution process, development of substations with no requirement for operating personnel.

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Page 7: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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Amended Power Master Plan VII

• Strategies:– Higher quality of electricity supply and more reasonable electricity price– Diversification of domestic resources for power generation– Developing new renewable power sources and updating technologies used in

existing plants– Diversification of investment sources to overcome the lack of financial and technical

resources and also to improve economic efficiency

• Investment capital demand:– Approximately USD 40 billion up to 2020: Two-thirds for power generation

development and one-third for power network development– Approximately USD 108 billion for the period from 2021 to 2030: 74% for power

generation development and 26% for power network development

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Page 8: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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Amended Power Master Plan VII• State to keep monopoly on transmission• Prioritize development of renewable energy • Renewable energy target rate at 7 pct. of total energy

output by 2020 and more than 10 pct. by 2030.• Increase the solar power output to 850 MW by 2020,

4,000 MW in 2025 and 12,000 MW in 2030.

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Page 9: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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Vietnam’s electrical energy mix• Vietnam policy emphasises the need to diversify the country’s

energy mix whilst maximising the use of local energy reserves• Currently Vietnam is developing an energy mix sector with

the mainstay of coal fired power

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Page 10: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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Capacity additions each year to 2030

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Page 11: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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Cumulative capacity to 2030

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Page 12: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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DRAFT DECISION ON SUPPORTING REGIME FOR SOLAR POWER PROJECTS

• EVN has to purchase electricity from on-grid solar energy projects at VAT-excluded price of 15 US cents/kWh

• For on-grid rooftop solar projects,  the rate will be 11.2 UScents/ kWh – Now being asked by the new Prime Minister to reduce

• The rate in VND will be adjusted according to the fluctuation in the VND/USD exchange rate.

• Rooftop solar projects of less than 50kW will not have to connect to the grid. For those of more than 50kW, connection to the grid is required and an electricity operating permit must be obtained.

• Term of solar energy PPAs: 20 years (renewable)

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Page 13: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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ENERGY RETAIL PRICES

• Circular 12/2014/TT-BCT:– 7-10% increase with MOIT approval – More than 10% requires PM approval – EVN can decide independently for less than 7%

increases? • Energy retail prices are expected to increase Raise FiT

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Page 14: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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Market access and Forms of investment• No foreign ownership restriction• Investment forms:ü A wholly-owned foreign enterprise ü A joint venture company between a foreign investor and domestic investorü Investment pursuant to the BOT legal framework (which includes establishment

of a project entity in the form of a wholly-owned foreign enterprise by way of a BOT contract with the MOIT which is implemented through a wholly-owned foreign enterprise; or a joint venture company by way of a BOT contract with the MOIT which is implemented through a joint venture with a Vietnamese entity (usually including EVN, but it is also possible with a private domestic IPP)

ü Through the purchase of shares in either an EVN subsidiary being or having been equitized or a private IPP holding power assets. investment in the form of establishment of a new company can be undertaken in one or more of the following ways.*

Page 15: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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BOT – BEST INVESTMENT FORM

• Government’s Decree No. 15/2015/ND-CP on Public-Private Partnership: making projects more bankable

• Easier to negotiate more favorable electricity rates.• Easier to obtain more government guarantees, especially

in terms of EVN’s obligations to purchase all electricity from the project.

• More fiscal and financial incentives.• Precedent large-scaled BOT power projects in Vietnam:

Phu My, Vung Ang, Mong Duong 2*

Page 16: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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INVESTMENT INCENTIVES• Subject to the decision of the local People’s Committee where the project

is located• Land: exemption of land rental within 3 years from the operation date of the

project, etc.• CIT 10%

– 15 years for new enterprises investing in power plant projects – tax exemptions within 4 years and tax reduction by 50% in the next 9 years.

• Import duty exemption – on goods imported to create fixed assets of the projects; components, materials and

semi-finished products which are not available at home for the project’s operation. • Investment capital

– investors could apply for a loan of up to 70% of the total investment capital of their project with a term of maximum 12 years.

– investors could also enjoy export credit incentives in the form of a loan of up to 85% of the export/ import contract value or L/C value also with a term of maximum 12 years.*

Page 17: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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Project planning• Investors has to obtain prior agreement of EVN on power purchase prior to

licensing procedure.• Commitment of banks or credit institutions on financing the project must be

obtained prior to issuance of Investment Registration Certificate .• In-principle approval of the local People’s Committee is required prior to

issuance of Investment Registration Certificate depending on the project size• A solar power plant must obtain a power generation permit from the competent

State authorities in order to conduct power generation operations in Vietnam• Term of the permit: maximum 20 years for large power plants with particularly

important meaning on economy, society, national defense and security as per the list approved by the Prime Minister; and 10 years for other power plants projects.

• The permit cannot be renewed but the investor may apply for a new one within 60 days prior to the expiry date of the current permit.

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Page 18: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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Project licensing• Step 1: The investor obtains approval from the competent authority [e.g., Prime

Minister, MOIT] approving the solar power plant as part of the power development master plan (if required).

• Step 2: The investor obtains in-principle approval from the competent People’s Committee (or other competent authorities subject to the details of the project) approving the solar power plant project, land demand / location, environment, construction plan, other terms of the project.

• Step 3: Application for issuance of the Investment Registration Certificate and the Enterprise Registration Certificate

• Step 4: Preparation of construction / operations of the solar power plant (for example, acquiring land area, site clearance, preparation, land investigation, conducting environmental assessment)

• Step 5: The project company to obtain necessary permits (e.g. electricity generating permit) and relevant agreements (e.g. PPA) for its and the power plant’s operation.

• Step 6: Construction of solar power plant and operation*

Page 19: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INVESTORS• Difficult time but opportunities await. • Public private partnerships (e.g. - BOT) should be the first option.• Due care on negotiations of the PPA and grid connection agreement with EVN• Electricity selling in off-grid areas can be a good choice• Sound financing structure, good business model and great legal assistance are keys

to success.• Accurate prediction of where the market is heading to, in the context of Vietnam’s

critical power shortage, should be considered.• More pressure on the government to adequately address key issues on tariff

increase, demonopolization of the power market and government guarantee.• Vietnam’s market is extremely in need of financing and EPC capability. There are

rooms for cost-effective and high quality EPC contractors and resourceful lenders.• In many cases, you can “test the water” with a small power plant project.

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Page 20: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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DUANE MORRIS VIETNAM LLCThank you very much!

HANOI OFFICE HO CHI MINH CITY OFFICE

Pacific Place, Unit V1307/08, 13th Floor, Suite 1503/04, Saigon Tower 83B Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem District 29 Le Duan Street, District 1Hanoi, Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamTel.: +84 4 39462200 Tel.: +84 8 3824 0240Fax: +84 4 3946 1311 Fax: +84 8 3824 0241

Contact email:

[email protected]

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Page 21: Oliver Massmann - Investing in Solar Energy in Vietnam - How to do it right?

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References (1)

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References (2)

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References (3)

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References (4)

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