Client: United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) 

Period: 2013 – 2017

Location: Hanoi, Mekong Delta, Central Highlands of Vietnam

Donor: State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) 

Project lead firm (& partners): Vietnam Cleaner Production Centre Company Limited (VNCPC), Sofies (Switzerland), Vietnam Southern Food Corporation (Vinafood II), Vietnam Sustainable Agriculture Transformation (VnSAT) project, Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), and Viet Hien Mechanical Company

Project overview: The aim of the project is to achieve step-reductions in the generation of industrial waste and by-products, including organic materials, as well as to foster their valorisation. This serves the triple purpose of (1) improving the local environment (less waste and waste water), (2) mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (reduced energy consumption and reduced methane generation from waste) and (3) economic benefits (resource productivity and possibly better product quality). In Vietnam, the project focused on the rice and coffee sectors. This project is under the joint UNIDO-UNEP programme on Resources Efficient and Cleaner Production in Developing and Transition Countries. 

Project activities:

    • Overall assessment of the rice and coffee sector
    • Preliminary assessment of the company before screening
    • Conduct RECP quick-assessment for 10 companies per sector
    • Provide two 3-day training courses on RECP assessment for the rice and coffee sectors according to UNIDO methodology
    • Conduct full-assessment of RECP for 04 companies per sector
    • Identify pilot projects: 04 pilot projects in the rice sector

Main project outcomes: 

    • After 4 years of implementation, the project has guided and supported 10 rice-processing enterprises and 10 coffee processing enterprises to implement RECP assessment. This results in the saving of 1.08 million kWh/year, equivalent to USD 80,000 and CO2 reduction of 621 tons/year
    • The outstanding output of the project is the achievement of the program’s objective on environmentally friendly technology transfer. Viet Hien Mechanical Company in Buon Ma Thuot city not only succeeded in receiving the pyrolysis technology transferred from Switzerland, but also successfully produced its own industrial-scale pyrolysis using coffee husks. The product of this pyrolysis process is thermal energy used for the drying of coffee bean, and biochar with high potential to improve soil efficiency.