Cement industry is one of the industries that have been making a significant contribution to economic growth in Vietnam. However, in face of the soaring prices of fuels such as gasoline, oil and electricity, it is meeting with a lot of difficulties. Technological innovation, costs reduction, quality improvement and energy efficiency are what the Viet Nam Cement Corporation is endeavoring for.

Along with the pressure of raising electricity prices, fuel prices, adjusting the VND/USD exchange rate, price of coal sold to cement households has risen by 40% since the beginning of April, which has added a greater burden to cement enterprises. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Thien, Chairman of Vietnam Cement Association, currently, the total energy costs account for 45% - 50% of cement production costs. An 18% increase in gasoline price, a 15.3% increase in electricity price and a 40% increase in coal price have made price of cement increase by 10% to 15%.

Vietnam Electricity Group has assigned Power Corporations to direct power companies to perform power supply in April 2011 under the motto of no power reduction. Besides, EVN has required Power Corporations to continue to closely monitor the daily load situation, report to the Group to assess the situation of power supply in April and report to the Ministry of Industry and Trade on power supply plans in May and June 2011.

On April 9th, in Hanoi, Vietnam Biogas Association was officially founded. The establishment– technical activity, contributing to the development of livestock husbandry, reducing gas emissions, improving the efficiency of current and future biogas projects, raising income for households and businesses as well as protecting the environment.

Implementing the Power VI plan approved by the Government, the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) is striving to accelerate the construction and complete the whole Son La hydropower project (capacity of 2,400 MW) at the end of 2012. In the short term, in 2011, EVN has planned to power on unit 2 on Apr 30th; unit 3 on Aug 31st and unit 4 on Dec 31st.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has directed the MOIT to soon complete and submit to the Government the mechanism issuing regulations to support, facilitate and encourage wind power projects in Vietnam.

Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) Group yesterday officially started construction on the second turbine of Song Tranh 2 hydropower plant with designed capacity of 95MW. The Song Tranh 2 hydropower plant project has been conducted by EVN Group as the main investor. It's the second hydropower plant to be built on Vu Gia-Thu Bon river system. It is expected that the hydropower plant will produce annual electricity output of 679.6 million KWh to join the national grid.

Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) Group announced that there will be additional 2 billion KWh to be supplied to national grid by Son La hydropower plant and Song Tranh 2 hydropower plant. On January 7, 2011, EVN will officially put into operation the first turbine of Son La hydropower plant after over five years of construction. At the same time, the group will also have the first turbine of Song Tranh 2 hydropower plant joined the national grid.

According to Director of Institute of Atomic Energy, Mr. Vuong Huu Tan, currently, the location of the center is located in the research and proposal. All the work is at the starting point. For the 3 locations of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Lat, in most meetings and conferences, scientists proposed to build the center near Hanoi. According to scientists, this location will satify all conditions, especially to take full advantage of human resources available in Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute.

Với mong muốn xây dựng một phần mềm mô phỏng toàn bộ hệ thống công trình, thiết bị và chế độ điều khiển tự động các nhà máy thủy điện, nhằm giảm giá thành công trình, nâng cao tuổi thọ của các thiết bị, đảm bảo sự làm việc ổn định của các thiết bị, TS Nguyễn Văn Sơn đã phát triển được phương pháp mô phỏng, phương pháp tính mới và cụ thể hóa thành một phần mềm giải quyết triệt để các vấn đề nêu trên.

This is one of the three biofuel factories that PetroVietnam is planning to build, with the total capacity of 300,000 kilolitres per year. That plant is being built in Binh Phuoc province, with the total investment of about 10 billion yen (USD 122 million), of which Itochu holds the largest share of 40%. As planned, the plant will be put into operation in 2012, with the capacity of 100,000 kilolitres of bioethanol.

Some developed countries such as Japan consume only 350-400kWh of electricity to make every tonne of steel billets whereas Vietnam consumes as much as 700kWh of electricity to do that. So if it does not take actions to reduce energy consumption in order to lower the production cost, the Vietnamese steel sector can hardly withstand market competition.

Tập đoàn Itochu của Nhật Bản sẽ hợp tác với Tập đoàn Dầu khí Việt Nam (PetroVietnam) thực hiện dự án xây dựng nhà máy sản xuất ethanol sinh học từ sắn ở miền Trung Việt Nam.

On November 19th, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, with the assistance of German Government through the Organization of German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and the German Energy Agency, put into use the grid connected solar system on the rooftop of the headquarters. The system will save approximately VND 12 million per year for electricity. Using electricity from renewable energy sources is considered the radical solution for the increasing energy demand in Vietnam.

In the past five years, Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group has invested in 59 projects, including 56 petroleum projects (38 domestic projects and 18 projects in foreign countries). Particularly, the excavation of oil and gas has been implemented effectively at 15 domestic and foreign oil fields, and the mining output has reached 117.41 million tons. The Group has also implemented the work of development at 16 domestic and foreign mines.

The reason for this situation is that investors do not pay attention to energy conservation methods and their advantages to the socio-economic development. According to the architect Nguyen Tan Van, the chairman of the Vietnam Architect Association, we are not clearly aware of “green architecture” benefits. Therefore, when building, investors do not take advantages of natural conditions and the ancestors’ experiences in the field of construction in tropical region. We need to create a friendlier architecture.

After successes of peanut sowing machine and rubber latex harvesting machine, Le Thanh Binh always wants to have more inventions to contribute to the country’s development. Recently, he successfully produced a sea wave power electricity generator. This machine took part in the Vietnam Exhibition on Technologies and Equipment 2010 held in Quang Ninh Province.

In Song Tu Tay Commune, Truong Sa District, Khanh Hoa Province, the Vietnam National Petroleum Corporation worked with the Vietnam Navy High Command to run the project on clean energy and lighting system on the Truong Sa Archipelago and DK1 Drill Rig.

The 30th India International Trade Fair (IITF 2010) themed ‘Clean and Energy Efficient Technology, Products and Services’ was opened in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on November 14. Vietnamese Ambassador to India Nguyen Thanh Tan cut the ribbon to inaugurate the Vietnam Pavilion at the fair.

PetroVietnam Gas Corporation (PV Gas), the biggest liquid gas supplier in Vietnam intends to sell 15-20 percent of its shares to foreign investors to earn US$600 million. Chitrapongse Kwangsukstith, the chairman of PTT International Company Limited, a member of PTT Corporation in Thailand, said that his company pays a special attention to buying share of PV Gas.