Offshore wind development in Vietnam presents significant opportunities to support the country’s energy transition and long-term decarbonisation objectives. However, differences between Vietnam’s regulatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) framework and international Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) standards remain a key challenge for project bankability and timely project delivery.
Our first report in Vietnam examines how the Vietnamese EIA process can be practically aligned with international ESIA requirements, particularly those of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank, without requiring potentially time-consuming changes to existing laws or regulations.
The findings highlight that while Vietnam’s EIA framework provides a robust basis for environmental assessment, International ESIA requirements place significantly greater emphasis on social risk management, continuous stakeholder engagement, and disclosure throughout the project lifecycle.
Optimising Offshore Wind Development in Vietnam
Download PDFThis study has been prepared by Anber Engineering Services, drawing on the project team’s experience in environmental and social assessment, permitting, and stakeholder engagement for large-scale wind power developments in Vietnam.
The report proposes a harmonised EIA-ESIA workflow, alongside several recommendations that provide a realistic and phased pathway for implementing the harmonised approach to offshore wind development projects in Vietnam.
Recommendations include:
- Prepare concise guidance notes and tools which translate the harmonised EIA-ESIA framework into practical steps for developers and consultants.
- Encourage developers and consultants to integrate ESIA-aligned screening, stakeholder mapping and engagement, and risk identification into early project planning alongside regulatory EIA preparation.
- Apply the harmonised approach on a limited number of offshore wind projects to test practicality, refine guidance, and capture lessons learnt.
- Encourage voluntary adoption of harmonised EIA-ESIA practices as part of standard offshore wind project planning, particularly for projects seeking international financing.