Developing Bioenergy in Vietnam

Vietnam has many advantages to develop renewable energy and bioenergy because it is an agriculture-based country with a variety of biomasses and favourable climatic conditions for growing material plants for biofuel production.

 

A biogas programme was launched long ago and is now widely available across the country. The programme, initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and won an energy award in Belgium in 2006, has created tens of thousands of biogas reservoirs across the country. The number of reservoirs is expected to rise exponentially in the coming time. This programme has been improving the quality of rural environment and providing energy to many households. Next steps of the programme are to perfect techniques, upgrade scales and utilise biogas resources to develop this type of energy.

 

As regards biofuel, Vietnam currently has two ethanol production plants in Phu Tho and Dung Quat. Both facilities, invested by the State-owned Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), have a combined capacity of 100,000 tonnes of ethanol a year, and started production from 2010. PetroVietnam is joining hands with Itochu Group of Japan to build the third facility in Binh Thuan province. The new factory was kicked off in 2010.

 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has also put forth a project to grow jatropha to produce biofuel. Jatropha can be grown everywhere in hilly barren areas in Vietnam as this plant is easy to grow, resistant to drought and fire, inedible for cattle and resistant to disease and pests.

 

However, most jatropha planting projects are unsuccessful in Vietnam. To develop this source of renewable energy in Vietnam, Jatro – a European company with Asian operating centre in Singapore – signed a contract with Truong Thanh Furniture Corporation to plant jatropha on an area of 100,000 ha in Vietnam from 2011 to produce environment-friendly biodiesel.

 

Jatro, with more than 15 years experience and important secrets in genetic modification and cultivation of this plant, is expected to make Vietnam an exemplary user and producer of bioenergy in the future.