On April 3, the Workshop on the Green Investment Facility was held in Can Tho for SMEs in food processing sector. This is the 3rd Workshop organized by LCEE Project to outreach the SMEs after the workshop for ceramic enterprises in Hanoi and the workshop for brickyard sector in Vinh Long.

Among the attendants were the representatives of the Department of Industry and Trade of Can Tho, the Can Tho Energy Conservation Center,  Bac Lieu Energy Conservation Center, Soc Trang Energy Conservation Center, and Vinh Long Energy Conservation Center, Representatives of the Banks in the area, the energy based products and services providers and  food processing enterprises in the province.

The workshop

Can Tho is one of 10 major provinces of the LCEE project. It is the hub of many food processing businesses such as aquatic products processing enterprises, foodstuff processing enterprises, canned fruit & vegetables enterprises and ice makers .

According to Mr. Duong Nghia Hiep, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, the energy saving potential in the food processing enterprises in the province is very large. The rationale is that the business owners are not really interested in energy efficiency, meanwhile the equipment in many enterprises is out of date, and they lack the capital to make investment in technology. 

At the workshop, Mr. Reddy Armanarth - Senior Advisor of the project introduced into the LCEE project, with its support lending policy,  and the promising benefits that the enterprises could gain from participating in the project.

Accordingly, the those businesses which wish to invest in energy-saving, will have the opportunity to receive loans, worth of VND 400 million to VND 4 billion. At the same time, the LCEE project supports the enterprise with bank guarantees up to 50%. By the end of the project, based on the measured saved energy, the project will conduct an evaluation and pay the direct rewards as reduction from the bank loans.

Dr . Nguyen Xuan Quang answers the enterprises' questions

At the conference, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Quang - Technical Advisor of the project outlined  on how energy efficiency could be calculated in enterprises. Besides, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Quang also answered  some questions from business owners about the technical solutions to save energy.

Businesses can apply multiple solutions including: normal bulb replacement for LED lights or T5 lighting systems; install the inverter for pump systems, air conditioners, compressors; insulation enhancement for insulation system; condensate recovery at boiler; regular maintenance of mechanical systems. At the end of the workshop, the project officers instructed the enterprises how to fill in the loan application forms for participation in the Green Investment Facility .

LCEE Project Officers instruct the enterprises how to fill in the loan application forms

In the framework of the workshop, the exhibitions were also held for show of technology, equipment from various providers in the field of energy products and energy services.

Various types of energy products in display within the framework of the workshop.

Do Trong Tan