NatSteelVina Co., Ltd. (brand name Viet-Sing Steel) is the first joint venture in Vietnam's steel industry, in partnership with NatSteel Holdings of Singapore. Viet-Sing Steel combines world-class technology and advanced management practices with the traditional production methods of the Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel Industrial Zone, the cradle of Vietnam's steel industry. This harmonious combination over the years has brought high-quality steel products to the Vietnamese market at competitive prices, meeting all usage needs.

Viet-Sing Steel is produced on modern production lines from companies such as Pomini and Danieli with a capacity of 200,000 tons/year, primarily using electricity and FO oil.

Mr. Le Khac Giang, Deputy Head of the Energy Management Department and Deputy Production Manager of Viet-Sing Steel, stated that the company always focuses on investing in research and implementing various solutions and new technologies to optimize energy consumption, reduce product costs, and increase competitiveness. Besides internal measures such as issuing regulations and guidelines related to the operation and use of energy-saving equipment, and raising awareness among staff about efficient energy use, the company has also implemented several equipment renovation projects to reduce energy consumption.

The company has developed an operation process for the billet heating furnace according to the billet size and rolling capacity to optimize energy use and meet technical requirements. They have installed variable frequency drives (VFD) to automatically control the pressure of the furnace air supply instead of using throttle valves, reducing energy consumption by 25% for the 75HP fan motor. They have also installed automatic compensation systems for low-voltage distribution cabinets, providing localized compensation to each AC motor (>22KW). This helps maintain a monthly average power factor of around 0.95, saving about 2.5% of energy consumption. Additionally, the company has installed aeration systems for filtration towers, increasing filtration efficiency and reducing energy consumption for the filter pumps.

Previously, the company used only one main water station, integrating pumps with different characteristics, leading to energy loss, frequent pump system failures, and inadequate production support. The company has since renovated the system, dividing it into two independent stations connected in series. The main station reduces pressure and increases flow to supply part of the production line, while the booster station provides higher pressure for equipment that requires it. Each station includes several pumps with similar characteristics, and each has one variable frequency drive pump that automatically controls the other pumps based on set pressure. This solution maintains the desired pressure in each area, reduces energy consumption, and extends the durability of the equipment.

The cooling towers previously used PVC materials with a short service life, requiring replacement every three years and accumulating a lot of dirt, which reduced the heat exchange process. These were replaced with composite materials (FRP) that have better heat resistance. Composite does not accumulate dirt, and the Splash Bar design creates turbulent flow and splashing, enhancing heat exchange and cooling (previously reducing the temperature by only 5-7°C, now increased to 10-12°C), reducing the energy consumption for cooling fans. The material's lifespan is approximately ten years.

In addition, the company replaced incandescent and high-pressure halogen lamps with energy-saving LED lights.

Specifically, immediately after the Law on Economic and Efficient Use of Energy was enacted (in 2010), the company established an energy management system. The company has an energy management system that meets the international standard ISO 50001:2018. This advanced energy management tool, with a scientific and modern system evaluation method, helps the company identify existing issues and potential energy-saving opportunities. Additionally, the system allows for a comprehensive evaluation of all aspects that the old system could not address.

"With a series of technical solutions to reduce energy consumption already implemented, the energy audit report for 2023 shows that energy management activities at Viet-Sing Steel have achieved quite good indicators. The energy consumption level is 0.4% lower than the energy consumption quota for the steel industry specified in Circular No. 20/2016/TT-BCT dated September 20, 2016, by the Ministry of Industry and Trade," Mr. Giang informed.

Sharing about the solutions to help the company save energy in the future, Mr. Giang said: The company is participating in the Voluntary Agreement Program to promote economical and efficient energy use in the industrial sector (VAS) within the framework of the Vietnam-Denmark Energy Partnership Program for the period 2020-2025. The goal is to improve energy efficiency at the facility and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Accessing the project's pre-feasibility report has helped the company identify potential energy savings and methods to apply technology to the production process to improve furnace efficiency.

Additionally, Viet-Sing Steel is researching energy conversion towards green steel production. The company has signed an agreement with an LNG gas supplier to switch energy use from oil to gas and has signed a cooperation agreement with a British rooftop solar power fund to research and implement a project at the facility.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, General Director of NatSteelVina, affirmed the determination to become a pioneering steel enterprise in energy efficiency and emission reduction. "Over the years, NatSteelVina has continuously strived to improve production technology lines and apply initiatives to reduce energy consumption and production costs, aiming towards green steel production and environmental protection, in line with the government's policies and maintaining our position in the domestic and international markets," Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan said.