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.

It is nearly one years Phan Xuan Tai family in Tan Lap Village, Cam Thanh Bac Commune, Cam Lam District, Khanh Hoa Province have not been worried about electricity and fuel costs for daily life and raising 120 pigs because they have been using biogas for every daily activities. If there were not the project on biogas sponsored by the Dutch Government, they would have to pay at least VND200,000 for electricity and fuel costs.

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.

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.

On November 12, the Specialized Science and Technology Council of Soc Trang Province held a meeting to assess the draft of a project aiming to build an improved model of biogas plants to generate power for use by livestock breeding farms in Chau Thanh District. This project is presided over by the Soc Trang Center for Science and Technology Application and headed by engineer Duong Hoang Van, the deputy director of the center’s Technical Department.

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.

"Ho Chi Minh City currently has partnerships with many localities of the Russian Federation; many cooperative programs and projects between the two sides have been deployed in both Vietnam and Russia. The city always needs the support and cooperation from Russia and Russian localities, especially in the areas in which Russia is one of the leading countries such as science, technology, energy, oil and gas ..." - Mr. Le Minh Tri stressed and expressed the hope that cooperation between the two sides would become increasingly practical and efficient.

At noon of November 18th, at the construction site of Son La hydropower plant, unit 1 of Son La hydropower plant was officially put into no load operation. This is the decisive step in determining the success of unit 1 at the end of this November, one month earlier than the schedule approved by the Prime Minister and 2 years earlier than the progress proposed by the National Assembly.

According to information from the British Embassy, from November 22th to 26th, a trade mission of the Energy Industries Corporation of the UK (EIC) will come to Vietnam to explore investment opportunities in the oil industry. In HCM city, representatives of companies will have meeting with PetroVietnam and companies which were already established and operating in Vietnam market such as Chevron, Conoco Phillips, JVPC and Worley Parsons. The delegation will also visit and work with companies operating in the field of oil and gas in Vung Tau.

Prime Minister affirmed: “Vietnam highly appreciates potential and technologies of South Korean businesses and calls upon South Korean businesses to continue expanding investment in Vietnam, especially in the fields of economic - social infrastructure development, new energy and material production, high technology product manufacturing, support industry, human resource and health development, and agriculture, forestry and fishery development.”

The Dong Giao Foodstuff Export Joint Stock Company (DOVECO) in Tam Diep Town, Ninh Binh Province was established in 1955 and operates under the Vietnam National Vegetable, Fruit and Agricultural Product Corporation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. With four modern production lines, the company is capable to make 25,000 tonnes of products each year. DOVECO is a leading provider of processed agricultural products in Vietnam. It is also the first company to bring Vietnamese fruit and vegetables to the world market.

To meet customer needs and keep pace with the development of tourism and services, Dong Xuyen hotel has been constantly upgrading, improving and renovating facilities, and enhancing service style. Along with that development, the demand for electricity of the hotel is also increasing. Monthly average power consumption of the hotel is about 75 thousand kWh of electricity.

At the National Assembly session discussing economic – social issues on the morning of November 1st, the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Construction informed members of the National Assembly a number of measures to adjust the planning and balance the production of two industries: steel and cement.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the contests have attracted more than 100 buildings, 77 among which meet demands of organization board. Thirty three buildings of those have given domestic prizes and five won the prizes at ASEAN level. In the past, most of buildings were in the south. This year, many of buildings including schools and hospitals are located in the north.

Dr. Nguyen The Hung from the Institute of Physics under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology has contributed to the efforts to realize the above objective by creating a type of power generator using natural light. In 2008, Dr. Nguyen The Hung and his colleagues began a research project aiming to manufacture a type of power generator system using solar energy according to the absorption diffusion principle (with natural light engine).

Regular innovation to improve productivity and product quality is the target that leaders of the company has always aimed at. With that target, in November 1998, the company invested in the mechanized blast furnace cement production line of China with the design capacity of 60,000 tons per year. In 2002, the company invested in an additional synchronous production line, increasing the total design capacity of the two lines to 120,000 tons per year. Currently, each year, the plant manufactures and supplies more than 300,000 tons of cement to the main markets in Hanoi and surrounding areas.

The People’s Committee of Ninh Thuan Province recently presented a master plan for socioeconomic development to 2020 with a vision towards 2030, with an ambition to turn Ninh Thuan into an energy center of the whole country and to list its name among the 20 rich provinces of Vietnam.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has instructed the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) to promote its activities that it has undertaken to ensure power plants have an adequate amount of coal to run their facilities. Vinacomin should set up a team to work with the steering committee on importing coal for the thermoelectric projects, draft plans for importing coal and should monitor transport networks, said Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Le Duong Quang.

In Vinh Truong hamlet, Phuoc Dinh commune, Thuan Nam district, Ninh Thuan, representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade have announced Decision 3849/QD-BCT dated July 20th 2010 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade approving the Construction location scheme of Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant established by the Institute of Energy in November 2008 for the investors and the provincial People's Committee of Ninh Thuan to prepare premises and infrastructure.

Thien Thanh company is a private enterprise (Phung Xa, My Duc, Ha Noi) with the main products of textile, dye and exported towel; annual energy cost is over VND 4 billion. Engaging in energy audit program, this business has found out eight solutions to use energy and coal effectively.

Dr. Nguyen The Hung from the Institute of Physics under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology said that many other countries in the world have successfully converted photo energy into electrical and thermal energy.

Hanoi Rubber Joint Stock Company - HARCO (Cau Dien town, Tu Liem district) is an enterprise specialized in manufacturing fabric shoe products and exported floor pads. The technological line system of the company has been put into use for over 30 years, so the productivity as well as energy consumption is quite large.

Mitsubishi Corp. will conduct a feasibility study to help address global warming by popularizing energy-saving Japanese home appliances in Vietnam, it has been learned. Working in cooperation with five electric appliance makers, including Panasonic Corp. and Sharp Corp., Mitsubishi will verify how much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced through the end of March 2011.

On the afternoon of October 14th, People's Committee of Hanoi discussed with the Chairman of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) of Japan and theMinistry of Natural Resources and Environment about preparing for the implementation of the project "Building a system to treat waste of power industry" in an area of 1 ha of Nam Son Waste Disposal Complex, Soc Son district.

Great efforts have been made to improve public awareness about energy savings. Energy efficient appliances have replaced power consuming equipment. Millions of compact lamps and solar water heaters have been used, while many power saving models have been applied to factories and smart/green buildings.

After three days of prompt installation, at the end of October 18th 2010, 80% of the project installing grid connected solar panels on the rooftop of MOIT’s building has been completed as scheduled.