Amata:Transforming toward Eco & Sustainable Future

Through 28 years of constant development, Amata has set impressive footprints in terms of industrial estates from the North to the South of Vietnam. With multiple projects in operation and upcoming, more than US$4 billion of FDI has been invested in Amata’s locations from more than 190 investors regionally.

Under the vision of the group to grow the business and socio-economy together with good coexistence between the industries and surrounding communities on the basis of responsibility towards local natural resources and environmental preservation, Amata projects in Vietnam have aligned to set up the specific target toward a 'Low Carbon City by 2040' under the 'Smart City' concept by upcoming 2040. Through the journey to reach such an ambitious target, Amata has collaborated with numerous partners and tenants, as well as participating in many programs organized by the Vietnamese authorities and various associations.

Key strategies for AMATA sustainability

By integrating a sustainable development concept with good business strategy, the company has revised its business plans and moves toward being the developer of a Smart City in the Eastern Economic Corridor. Amata’s aim has been set forth to actively respond to the stakeholders’ needs and to cope with global changes and emerging risks more efficiently, as well as creating a perfect city which provides opportunities and benefits to all stakeholders. Amata aims to develop the business and grow the socio-economy simultaneously, with the peaceful co-existence between the industries and surrounding communities based on natural resources and environmental conservation.

The core strategic development includes 5 key parts, including (1) Enhancing competitiveness through the Smart City concept; (2) Growing through strategic business partnerships; (3) Creating a safe and environmentally friendly society; (4) Creating opportunities for stakeholders and (5) Building a decent civil society to create benefits for society as a whole.

Persistent efforts in alignment with Vietnamese directions

Amata City Bien Hoa was established in 1994 and is considered one of the first industrial parks and represents a successful model in Dong Nai province.  With the experience and knowledge gained over the years, the company has faced both advantages and challenges in its transformation and modernization of processes which have had impacts on communities relying on the daily operations of the industrial park.

Huge efforts have been utilized productively not only from project developers, but also from authorities, factories, citizens and partners to invest and collaborate toward this effective symbiosis model.

Internally, Amata has been putting efforts toward reducing its greenhouse gas emissions through the implementation of many initiatives over the years. The company has replaced high energy consumption equipment with lower energy consumption upgrades, introduced OZONE water treatment into chiller systems to improve the efficiency of the systems and operating cost reductions, and utilized green technology – in the form of using solar cells as sources of renewable electricity supply for office buildings. Employees also participated in the action to help tackle climate change by voluntarily switching off lights during lunch breaks, taking the stairways when possible and adjusting thermostats to 25 degrees Celsius. Through these actions, Amata has achieved a reduction in electricity consumption from fossil fuels by 19% in 2021, based on year-on-year analysis since 2017.

In the latest program, Amata city Bien Hoa has been selected by the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to pilot the transformation to an ECO-IP model using the circular economy and the management team to inspire and contribute for the future standardized concept of Vietnam’s Industrial Parks. Amata contributed by sharing its experience and the successful business model applied in Thailand, advised on revisions of institutional frameworks to become feasible with conditions in Vietnam, connected with existing customers for different research and training, and supported authorities in depth regarding policy and regulatory framework creation.

Reviewing the actual conditions based on international standards and frameworks, Amata is now at 50%, or halfway, and planning to reach at least 70% in the next 3 years. Nevertheless, most parties involved in the project agreed that the particular conditions of the country shall be reflected in the standards, which means the adaptation from international standards to optimal local standards. Such new modified standards proposals are being considered as one of the targets for this project as well.

Among many solutions that have been raised, as a pilot project, Amata in Bien Hoa will prioritize three possible areas, including rooftop solar power, sanitized and reused water, and introduce and implement programs such as 'Resource Efficiency' and 'Cleaner Products' with the customers. For those areas to be implemented successfully, the change of related regulations is one of the key important factors. As an example, currently, Amata’s treated water is still being discharged daily following the regulations, even though the quality has been verified as being very close to normal water. The savings and future use for such amounts of purified water for other objectives could create more value to communities and further improve business operations as well.

In the latest report, with the possibilities of energy saving efficiency being estimated at more than 84 billion Dong per year, Amata strongly believes in the support of authorities through ECO-IP project proposals to soon complete the policies, framework and regulations beneficial for all the related communities and improving the competitiveness of Vietnam globally.

Amata’s footprint in Vietnam

Amata Corporation, established in Thailand in 1989, is the worlds leading industrial city developer. Amata specializes in planning, developing, managing, and marketing integrated industrial estates. The group currently serves over 1,400 tenants with a workforce population of more than 300,000, contributing over $56 billion USD into various countries’ GDP.

Leveraging the success in Thailand, Amata City Bien Hoa Industrial Park officially started business in 1994 with 190 factories and tenants in operation until now, currently with 513 hectares of area in on-going expansion. With more than 28 years of experience in Vietnam, Amata continues to expand business into hot spots of investment, including Long Thanh city (Dong Nai province) from 2015 and Quang Yen Economic Zone (Quang Ninh province) from 2018.

Amata City Long Thanh (1,270 hectares) is located in a very beneficial strategic location in the Southern area, close to the future airline hub, Long Thanh New International Airport, and along the highway to Ho Chi Minh City and posed to target both commercial and industrial land. Currently, 33 percent of the total area is in development for a Hi-tech Industrial Park and the remaining 67 percent is projected to become an urban community. Amata City Long Thanh is expected to make important contributions to Dong Nai’s social-economic development in particular and Vietnam in general.

In the Northern area, Amata City Ha Long, located in Song Khoai, Quang Yen commune with US$155 million capital (total of 714 hectares), has proactively recruited a more than US$800 million project from the first customer – Jinko Solar, with more to come. Offering the best strategic location with the huge advantage of easy access to a key logistics hub in the Northern Area, the investors joining Amata City Ha Long also can enjoy the highest tax incentive programs for economic zones.

All three projects are scheduled for full services including long-term land lease, well-equipped ready built factories, commercial offices and related services, which can and will fulfill diversified demands at business scales.

Source: Vietnam Business Forum