Along with the development and renovation of the country, Hai Phong has been constantly renovating. Currently in the area, there are hundreds of large enterprises operating in such sectors as shipbuilding, cement manufacturing, steel production, etc with thousands of small and medium enterprises. The strong growth of businesses has brought about the increasing demand for energy.

To reduce energy consumption in manufacturing facilities and gradually form the awareness of energy efficiency for all classes of people, Hai Phong has proposed so many effective measures which have built up the energy efficiency movement. Especially, the introduction of Hai Phong Energy Conservation Center has pulled the National program on Energy Efficiency and Conservation closer to the people.

Great potential

According to Mr. Dao Sy Thanh, Director of Haiphong Energy Conservation Center, "Since 2009, the Center has conducted surveys on energy consumption of key enterprises in the city. Results have shown that the energy saving potential in all fields is very large: Cement industry 50%; Textile 30%; Commercial building 25%; Steel industry 20%; Food processing industry 20% and Water usage 15%. The current use of energy in many enterprises is inappropriate, with the waste rate estimated to account for 20-40% of total energy costs".

Specifically, in 2009, the Center conducted energy audit in a total of 11 companies in many different industries such as shipbuilding, textile, construction materials, steel production, and construction. The audit results showed that the saving potential reached tens of billions of dong each year.

As a large enterprise in the shipbuilding industry of Haiphong, Bach Dang Shipbuilding Industry Corporation consumes much power annually. Business audit has shown many opportunities to save energy, such as strengthening the management, improving the lighting system, innovating technologies or using solar energy devices. With 10 proposed technical solutions, the company could save nearly VND2.5 billion per year, reduce 717 tons of C02, equivalent to 1.4 million kWh of power and about 39 tons of gas.

With a business operating in the field of steel production like Vietnam - Australia Steel JVC, energy always accounts for a large proportion of production costs. However, the measures to improve power consumption just stop at warning, causing much waste. Implementing energy efficiency measures properly could help the company reduce costs by over VND3 billion per year.

At the Vietnam - Czech hospital building, audit experts identified easy-to-implement solutions with low cost and high effect, such as replacing high capacity bulbs with power saving and high efficiency bulbs. Specifically, the building can reduce costs by VND1.2 billion per year thanks to saving 663,000 kWh per year and over 27,000 tons of coal.

So, with thousands of businesses, manufacturing facilities, offices and buildings operating in the city, the energy saving potential is very large. Good implementation of energy efficiency measures is an opportunity for Hai Phong to increase economic potential on the road towards international integration.

The role of media

As one of the early established Energy Efficiency Centers in the network of the National program, Hai Phong Energy Efficiency Center has now settled the organization and operated extensively with many achievements. Talking about the "secrets" creating that initial success, Mr. Thanh shared, "the media plays an important role. The purpose of all propaganda activities aims to increase the awareness and disseminate information on the National Program on Energy Efficiency and Conservation to the community and businesses".

Since the beginning of 2009 to July 2010, Hai Phong Energy Conservation Center has successfully organized dozens of workshops, training courses and conferences on Energy Efficiency in the area. Those activities included: consulting energy saving solutions, equipment and technologies for enterprises; disseminating information on investment and capital support of International Organizations, policies and the National program on energy efficiency and conservation.

In order to make the information on energy efficiency closer to people and businesses, Hai Phong Energy Efficiency Center has cooperated with press agencies and TV stations to publish reports and articles on energy efficiency. Thousands of leaflets and papers have been delivered to the people each year.

Hai Phong Energy Efficiency Center has conducted large scale propaganda activities, such as the contest “Residential areas with energy efficiency and conservation”; two consecutive years participating in the International Exhibition of energy efficiency - environment organized by Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade.

Especially, in the coming time, the International Exhibition on Energy saving products, Technologies and Environment - E & E Expo Hai Phong 2010 will be held for the first time, which is the milestone of the development of energy efficiency activities in the province of Hai Phong.

By Minh Duc