The Finnish government has funded EUR5.3 million for a project on solar energy application in rural areas and localities inhabited by ethnic minority people in Vietnam. The government of Vietnam will contribute EUR1 million in reciprocal capital for the project worth over EUR6 million in the first phase, the Vietnam News Agency said June 21. Initially, the project will help apply solar energy in 17 mountainous communes and localities inhabited by ethnic minority people in Ky Son, Que Phong and Quy Chau districts in the central province of Nghe An in the third quarter of this year. An additional 283 communes in Nghe An province are also expected to benefit from the project. Vietnam boasts a huge potential to develop solar energy. The country has up to between 2,000 hours and 2,500 hours of sunshine a year with solar radiation of 3-3.5 kWh per square meter per day in the winter and of 4.5-6.5 kWh per square meter per day in the summer.
