Industrial energy efficiency important to sustainable future in Vietnam

The project on accelerating energy efficiency in large industries through energy management systems, system optimisation, and the promotion of energy efficiency in small and medium-sized enterprises in Vietnam (IEEP) is part of the EU - Vietnam Sustainable Energy Transition Programme (SETP), funded by the EU and implemented by UNIDO and the MoIT’s Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development Department from 2023 to 2027.

Phuong Hoang Kim, Director of the Project Management Board speaks at the workshop. (Photo: congthuong.vn)

The project consists of enhancing the institutional and policy framework, implementing capacity building and improvement programmes, and implementing the projects on energy management systems and system optimisation. The focus is on 10 industries, namely pulp and paper food processing, aquatic processing, textile - garment making, chemical and fertiliser plants, rubber processing, metallurgy and steel, cement, plastics, and the beverage industry.

Phuong Hoang Kim, Director of the Project Management Board, said that to boost efficient energy use across economic sectors the Vietnamese Government has carried out a number of important policies and programmes. These include the promulgation of the Law on Economical and Efficient Use of Energy, the national target prorgamme on economical and efficient energy use for 2006 - 2015, and the national labour programme for 2019 - 2030.

During that process, Vietnam has received substantial assistance from the World Bank, the EU, the UN Industrial Development Organisation, and the Governments of Denmark, the Republic of Korea, and Japan through financial aid packages, the sharing of management experience, and the transfer of advanced techniques, he noted.

He considered the IEEP project as important to helping the MoIT carry out activities to achieve the targets of the national programme on economical and efficiency energy use for 2019 - 2025, including saving 5 - 7% of the total energy consumed nationwide.

This project aims to step up the demand for energy saving solutions in industries, reduce greenhouse gas and carbon emissions, and increase the productivity and competitiveness of industries in Vietnam, according to the official.

Kristina Buende, head of cooperation at the EU Delegation to Vietnam, said sustainable energy transition is one of the EU’s priorities in the world to promote green and sustainable development.

The EU Delegation hopes that the IEEP project under the SETP will help the national programme of Vietnam to realise the commitments on sustainable energy transition and net zero emissions by 2050, she added.

Le Thi Thanh Thao, Chief Representative of the UNIDO Office, said the IEEP project will also be useful for businesses, especially exporters, to meet the requirements for emission reduction in industrial activities, including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism of the EU.

The application of energy management and transition solutions is critical to enhancing business and industry competitiveness, thus contributing to the development of a sustainable and circular economy, investment attraction, and environmental protection, Thao said.