Danish-backed clean scheme shows promise
BEN TRE — The country would greatly benefit from a clean-production programme using technologies provided by Denmark since it would reduce raw-material needs and pollution, Vietnamese and Danish experts have said.
The Cleaner Production in Industry (CPI) programme has three basic goals: reducing waste at production units, recycling materials, and innovating.
It is one of five components in a six-year Viet Nam – Denmark co-operation environmental programme that ends this year.
The programme’s management board explained the benefits that businesses can get from applying CPI methodologies at a recent workshop held in the southern city of Ben Tre.
They can reduce consumption of coal by 6 – 30 per cent, fuel oil by 6 – 41 per cent, electricity by up to 85 per cent, and water by up to 92 per cent, it said.
More than 50 per cent of small-and-medium-d businesses that have applied CPI methodologies have benefited from it, the board said, adding their application does not require much investment and investors would take the capital back quickly. It has so far helped five provinces – Phu Tho, Thai Nguyen, Nghe An, Quang Nam, and Ben Tre – apply CPI, saying it has brought them a lot of benefit.
Around 200 companies nationwide have embraced CPI.
Since 2008 Ben Tre Province’s Department of Industry and Trade has helped carry out the programme with support in terms of policies, information dissemination, publicity, technology transfer, finance, and training.
The programme targets making 50 per cent of manufacturers aware of the importance of CPI by 2015, and hopes 25 per cent would apply it.
It seeks to increase the rate of awareness to 90 per cent, Nguyen Thi Lam Giang, co-ordinator of CPI programme said.
She hoped it would enable companies to save 8 – 13 per cent of energy and raw material costs.
To achieve the targets, the board, which operates under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, has recommended several measures in terms of investment and finance.
The board is set to flesh out its recommendations on support and incentives and submit it to the Government soon. — VNS