On 31 January 2018, ten local companies with highest Energy Efficiency achievements were announced winners of different categories of the National Energy Efficiency in Industry Award 2017. The Award Ceremony, organized in Hanoi, was well attended by representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), representatives of Departments of Industry and Trade and nearly 100 representatives from provincial governments, local industrial companies, energy conservation centres, international donor agencies, universities and media. The Award, organized by the Vietnam Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency Association (VECEA) under the patronage of MOIT, is supported by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (4E) Project, implemented by the Department of Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development of MOIT and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The first prize winners are Colusa-Miliket Foodstuff Joint-Stock Company (Colusa Miliket) for the category Best Energy Efficiency Solutions Award, and Polytechnical Mechanical, Thermal, Electrical and Refrigeration Engineering Company Limited (Polyco) for the category Exclusive and Innovative Energy Efficiency Solutions Award. Both companies were able to convince the jury with their outstanding achievements and strong commitment to energy saving and energy efficiency.

Colusa-Miliket Foodstuff Joint-Stock Company (Colusa Miliket) receive the first prize for the category Best Energy Efficiency Solutions Award

By replacing coal with rice husk as fuel for boilers, installing high-performance inverters, changing the lighting system, and insulating measures for steam supply pipes, Colusa Miliket has reduced 25% of its energy intensity per product (compared to 2010) and reduced 225 tons of CO2 emission every year. With constant hard work in energy savings and energy efficiency, the company has saved approximately 608 million VND in energy cost every year, during the period 2011 – 2016.

The jury has praised Colusa Miliket for having a long term investment plan in implementing energy efficiency measures, especially the use of rice husk as environmentally friendly and renewable energy resource has earned the company high marks in the final evaluation.

As for Polyco, the first prize winner of the category Exclusive and Innovative Energy Efficiency Solutions Award, the jury has complimented the company on its innovative energy efficiency measures which help reduce 1260 tons of CO2 emission every year. More importantly, solutions developed by the company such as the installation of a stratified refrigeration system, the use of energy effectively during peak hours and heat recovery solutions from heating boilers during the production process, have been applied widely in Vietnam food processing industry and help the company’s customers save 369 tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE) during the period from 2013 to 2016 and achieve a 10% reduction in energy intensity per unit in the same timeframe.  

Polyco Company receive the first prize winner of the category Exclusive and Innovative Energy Efficiency Solutions Award

Speaking at the Award ceremony, Mr Do Huu Hao, Chairman of Vietnam Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency Association, Head of the Organizing board, said: “We received many high quality applications from various industrial sectors.  From the Award, we are delighted to see that many companies are really committed to energy saving. It is encouraging to see their hard work and the fact that throughout the years, they have carried out many energy efficiency measures to reduce the energy cost, enhance their competitiveness and reduce pollution”.

Mr. Ingmar Stelter, Director, GIZ/MOIT Energy Support Programme, said: “With the energy saving potential in Viet Nam reaching 30%, energy efficiency measures are a great opportunity to help save resources for otherwise very costly power infrastructure projects – without jeopardizing economic growth.  The Award is a great chance to show that very little investment in energy saving could bring a lot of benefits and values. Today’s award winners are really pioneers and role models on energy efficiency in Vietnam”.

Applications to the National Energy Efficiency in Industry Award 2017, which was organized by the Vietnam Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency Association with the support from GIZ, was open from 20 November 2017 until 15 of January 2018.  Participants were industrial companies operating in Viet Nam that have annual energy consumption from 300 TOE and that have carried out energy efficiency solutions from 2011 to 2016.

There were two categories in the Award: Best Energy Efficiency Solutions Award, and Exclusive and Innovative Energy Efficiency Solutions Award.

The 10 winning companies were selected among 33 applications from food processing, industrial support services, medical equipment, mechanical equipment, garment, water supply, paper production, oil refinery, rubber and other sectors.

Companies receive the second prize for the category Best Energy Efficiency Solutions Award

As one of the most dynamically growing economies in Asia, Viet Nam faces an enormous increase in energy demand that will continue to grow at double-digit rates in the coming years.  The industrial sector is the biggest electricity consumer, accounting for 47% of the national consumption, according to Viet Nam Energy Statistics in 2015.

The Vietnamese government also set a national target of saving up to 10% of total electricity consumption for the period 2016 – 2020 in the revised Power Development Plan VII, published in 2016.