The visit demonstrated the interest of the French Government and AFD in Vietnam’s key power transmission infrastructure projects, while reaffirming the effectiveness of cooperation between the two sides in the energy sector.
The delegation included Mr. Olivier Brochet, Ambassador of France to Vietnam; Mr. Étienne Ranaivoson, Consul General of France in Ho Chi Minh City; Mr. Hugo Pierrel, Deputy Director of AFD Vietnam; and Mr. Florent Germain, Head of AFD’s Southeast Asia Energy Team.
EVNNPT Deputy General Director Bui Van Kien speaks at the working session with the delegation from the French Embassy in Vietnam and the French Development Agency.
The delegation was welcomed and hosted by Mr. Bui Van Kien, Deputy General Director of EVNNPT; Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tho, Deputy Director of the Central Power Project Management Board (CPMB); and representatives of relevant units.
The Binh Duong 1 500kV Substation Project is financed by an AFD loan under a non-government-guaranteed lending mechanism, with a total loan value of EUR 67 million. This is EVNNPT’s first non-government-guaranteed loan, representing a successful cooperation milestone between EVNNPT and AFD and potentially opening up further opportunities for EVNNPT to access financing from AFD and other international financial institutions.
The project plays an important role in improving power supply reliability and preventing overloads in the Southern region, supporting Vietnam’s energy transition process, and strengthening expanded Vietnam–France cooperation in the energy sector.
The delegation from the French Embassy in Vietnam and the French Development Agency visits the Binh Duong 1 500kV Substation.
Notably, the Binh Duong 1 500kV Substation Project is also the first project completed under Vietnam’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) framework. Under this partnership, France has committed EUR 500 million to support Vietnam in accelerating decarbonization in the power generation sector and achieving the target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Binh Duong 1 Substation will play an important role in integrating renewable energy sources, including wind and solar power, into the national power grid.
Speaking during the visit to the substation, French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet expressed his pleasure at the successful cooperation between EVNNPT and France in the energy sector. He highlighted that the cooperation has extended beyond previous AFD-funded projects for EVN/EVNNPT to include technical assistance programs aimed at enhancing staff capacity and strengthening institutional frameworks within EVNNPT.
The Ambassador noted that AFD is continuing to expand support for Vietnam’s power sector through additional projects. He highly appreciated EVNNPT’s proactive engagement and close coordination in arranging and effectively implementing the loan. According to him, based on these achievements, the French Embassy in Vietnam and AFD have full confidence that EVNNPT will continue to receive additional loans and technical assistance support from AFD in the coming years.
The delegation takes a commemorative photo at the Binh Duong 1 500kV Substation.
Mr. Bui Van Kien, Deputy General Director of EVNNPT, expressed his appreciation to the French Ambassador and acknowledged the valuable support provided by the French Embassy in Vietnam and AFD to EVNNPT in particular and Vietnam’s power sector in general. He affirmed that EVNNPT is committed to using AFD’s loans in the most effective manner and hopes to receive further support and new financing from AFD in the coming years.
The Binh Duong 1 500kV Substation Project is one of three projects financed under the loan package. The project commenced construction on January 15, 2024, and was completed in the fourth quarter of 2025, ensuring compliance with EVNNPT’s planned energization schedule for projects in 2025.
The total AFD loan for the Binh Duong 1 500kV Substation Project amounts to EUR 14.12 million, equivalent to 70% of the project’s total investment value. To date, EUR 13.71 million has been disbursed.
Project scale: The project involves the construction of a new 500/220kV substation equipped with two 500/220/35kV transformers, each with a capacity of 900MVA. In this phase, one 500/220/35kV transformer with a capacity of 900MVA has been fully installed.
The specific objectives of the project are to improve power supply reliability for Binh Duong Province and the Southern economic development region; provide additional capacity and prevent overloads at the Song May and Tan Dinh 500kV substations; and ensure safe and reliable operation of the power transmission system.