Day: June 26, 2023

Fertiliser manufacturers have implemented solutions to significantly reduce their carbon emission in production and improve energy efficiency.

Phung Ha, general secretary and vice chairman of the Vietnam Fertiliser Association said that global agricultural output would decrease by 50% if no fertilisers were used. However, about 2.5% of total global greenhouse gas emissions are related to fertiliser.

Domestic fertiliser manufacturers have taken many measures to significantly reduce carbon emissions in production.

Energy consumption of ammonia production plants has decreased by more than 15% in the past decade. Several fertiliser companies have implemented greener methods of fertiliser production, including supply of renewable energy sources for the ammonia production process.

Another solution is to develop fertiliser products such as the decomposing, slow-dissolving, and controlled-release fertilisers that will help increase absorption and reduce harm to the environment.

Along with production, the right type, right rate, right timing and right placement of the fertilisers is also an effective solution to reduce emissions.

In addition, replacing synthetic fertilisers with manure or compost products has the potential to reduce emissions by 10-20% or more.

Le Hoang Kiet from Ca Mau Petroleum Fertiliser Joint Stock Company (PVCFC) said the company prioritises investment in developing sustainable green production, and reduction in using fertilisers to achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

PVCFC is researching energy-saving technologies and solutions. Of which, it applies green technology in production lines to optimise the efficiency of using input materials of its nitrogen fertiliser plant.

In addition, the company is studying production technologies and feasibility on projects to produce industrial gases such as nitrogen, argon, green hydrogen and food CO2.

For fertiliser product development, PVCFC has developed a number of modern technologies such as Bio-Coating technology, Humate complex technology, biotechnology, controlled release fertilisers (CRF) technology, and slow-release fertilisers (SRF) technology, to develop fertiliser product lines having high efficiency in agricultural production. Those will increase crop yield and resistance to pests and diseases, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The application of Bio-Coating technology has helped PVCFC to create economical fertiliser products, disease resistant fertiliser products and bio fertiliser products. That helps reduce the amount of used urea nitrogen fertiliser by 15-20%.

PVCFC also builds a soil nutrient map by ecological region integrated with a database to digitize the soil database and crop nutrient needs, contributing to improving efficiency in fertiliser use and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The company has also studied and applied using biomass-fuel to replace fuel oil (FO) in drying NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) fertiliser products and additive products to help slash production costs and carbon emissions.

The company has also made the use of steam and excess heat from sulfuric acid production lines to run turbines to generate electricity, contributing to economical and efficient use of energy./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Many residents expressed their excitement at witnessing a pod of dolphins leaping and playing in the waters near the Son Tra Peninsula in the central city of Da Nang.

Vo Nguyen Thai Duy shared a video of the dolphins swimming near the Son Tra Peninsula on social media on June 22. The clip was widely shared and commented on by many people.

Several people said they believe that the presence of dolphins indicated positive signs for the marine environment surrounding the Son Tra Peninsula.

Duy said that he had seen dolphins twice before; however, there were more dolphins and they were closer to the shore this time.

It is considered a good omen when people at sea spot dolphins.

Nguyen Duc Vu, head of the Son Tra Peninsula Management Board and Da Nang’s tourist beaches said: “This is the first time someone has filmed dolphins swimming near the shore of the Son Tra Peninsula, between Mui Sung and Mui Nghe.

“Previously, the Rescue Team of the Management Board had encountered several injured dolphins washed ashore, and they were promptly rescued and guided back to the open sea with the cooperation of relevant agencies.”/.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception on June 26 for founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Prof. Klaus Schwab, within the framework of the 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions (AMNC) of the WEF in Tianjin, China.

They discussed the global economic situation, emerging development trends, Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements and its cooperative relations with the WEF.

Sharing Vietnam’s economic situation and prospects, PM Chinh stressed that Vietnam will consistently pursue the goal of maintaining macro-economic stability and promoting growth.

He suggested the WEF continue partnering with Vietnam and supporting its connection with WEF member businesses, assisting Vietnam in attracting high-quality investments, particularly in hi-tech, energy transition, digital transformation and strategic infrastructure. Additionally, he urged the WEF to enhance the exchange of views on the global development trends and offer policy advices to help Vietnam improve its competitiveness and business environment in adaptation to new regulations and trends.

Prof. Schwab said Vietnam’s presence at the WEF meeting in Tianjin will bring an optimistic story of economic recovery in the face of global challenges.

Expressing his impression on Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements and macro-economic stability, he stressed his strong commitment to boosting cooperation with Vietnam and working closely with relevant agencies to propose and launch practical joint projects which are in line with Vietnam’s interests and WEF’s strengths.

While discussing major topics of the upcoming annual WEF meeting in Davos, Switzerland, scheduled for January 2024, the two sides agreed that technology and artificial intelligence (AI), particularly the application of new technologies and AI in manufacturing, services, agricultural development and skill training should be the key focuses of the meeting.

Prof. Schwab expressed his impression on the dynamism of Vietnam’s young generation amid technological advancements, considering it one of Vietnam’s significant competitive advantages.

He extended an invitation to PM Chinh to attend the WEF meeting in January 2024 in Davos. The Vietnamese PM also invited Prof. Schwab and WEF leaders to visit Vietnam soon to deliver speeches and inspire the Vietnamese youth about the emerging development trends in the world. Both sides agreed to arrange these visits in the near future.

On this occasion, Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and WEF President Borge Brende signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation between Vietnam and the WEF for the 2023-2026 period under the witness of PM Chinh and Prof. Schwab.

The MoU serves as an important foundation to boost cooperation between Vietnam and the WEF in the new period, focusing on six key areas of innovation in food, skill development for innovation and green transformation, zero-emission industrial clusters; plastic actions, including the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP); finance for renewable energy transition, digital transformation cooperation and the establishment of the fourth industrial revolution centre.

The signing of the MoU will enable Vietnam to access resources, experience and join the WEF’s global programmes, thereby establishing a comprehensive ecosystem to drive new growth engines, attract investment and improve national competitiveness./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Thailand and Myanmar on June 26 destroyed respective drugs worth 600 million USD and 446 million USD seized in their nations.

According to Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration, the drugs included 27 tonnes of amphetamine, 5 tonnes of cathinone, 275 kilograms of heroin, 43 kilograms of cocaine and 6 kilograms of opium confiscated in 192 different cases.

The narcotic haul was burnt in accordance with the guidelines of the US Environmental Protection Agency to ensure no harmful substances or byproducts were released into the environment, said the administration.

The burn in Myanmar, coincided with the UN’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, took place in Yangon, Mandalay, and Taunggyi.

Last year, the authorities destroyed a total of more than 642 million USD worth of seized drugs./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency