GE, Mainstream Renewable Power (mainstreamrp.com) and the Phu Cuong Group have formalised a $2 billion development agreement to build a wind farm in the Soc Trang province of Vietnam.

Capable of generating 800MW of electricity, the project is expected to be Vietnam’s biggest wind farm and will be built in two phases. The signing ceremony was held in Washington, attended by Vietnamese prime minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross.

Andy Kinsella, Mainstream Renewable Power chief operating officer, said: “This is a significant step forward in terms of taking the first phase of this project into construction next year, and in doing so supporting Vietnam in its aim of delivering 1GW of renewable energy by 2020.”

The agreement formed part of $5 billion worth of deals recently announced by GE to support Vietnam’s energy and aviation sectors.

Wouter Van Wersch, GE’s chief executive for ASEAN member states, said: “We look forward to developing more wind power projects in accordance with the 1GW initiative signed with the Ministry of Industry and Trade last year.”