Ecological IZ is the model for Vietnam in the future

In 2014, the Prime Minister approved a project on implementing the initiative on ecological IZ development in Vietnam with non-refundable aid of $4.5 million from GEF (Global Environment Facility), SECO (Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) and UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization). 

The project, implemented in 2015-2018, aims to convert operational IZs into ecological IZs. At first, the conversion was implemented in IZs in Ninh Binh, Da Nang and Can Tho with 72 enterprises.

The enterprises joining the pilot program can get support in renovating technology, while their technical officers can attend training.

After three years of implementation, the 72 enterprises saved VND72 billion as they fully exploited resources to organize cleaner production and improve competitiveness.

In Hoa Khanh IZ in Da Nang City, for example, eight companies saved 5-10 percent of electricity, 3-5 percent of water, and reduced 510.1 tons of CO2 and 95 kilograms of COD emissions a year. 

The enterprises implement the industrial symbiosis model with six solutions in heat, water and solid waste. In principle, the waste discharged by one enterprise can be the input material for other enterprises. 

The redundant fuel and energy of one enterprise can be shared with others.

The initial achievements of the ecological IZs are encouraging, and leaders of provinces and cities have expressed their willingness to convert the traditional IZs in their localities into ecological ones.

As for the the plan to attract investment into Long An IZ in 2016-2020, Truong Van Trieu, head of the provincial Economic Zone Board of management, said the persistent principle that the local authorities pursue is that industrial production development must be associated with environmental protection. 

Therefore, Trieu is interested in the ecological IZ model being implemented in some provinces.

Pham Van Moi, from the Hai Phong City authorities, also said Hai Phong’s leaders want to develop economy in a sustainable way by asking existing IZs to shift to ecological IZs.

However, local authorities are still reluctant to do the conversion because of the lack of support from the state.

Moi complained that he wants to develop an ecological IZ from beginning. 

However, the problem is that developers are not allocated clean land at once. As a result, it is impossible for investors to design the IZ and build infrastructure items.

Meanwhile, enterprises in IZs are finding it difficult to have a common voice in the protecting environment and they are not willing to cooperate with each other.

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