VietNamNet Bridge - While Vietnamese made medical and domestic waste incinerators are finding it difficult to enter the commercial market, foreign-made incinerators have been imported in great numbers.

Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh and Bac Giang provinces have all imported small-scale incinerators to treat domestic waste

The outdated equipment is unsuited to Vietnamese conditions. While many countries now say ‘no’ to incineration technology, Vietnam pays the price for buying the machines.

Trinh Dinh Nang from Hoa Tu Long Thermal Industry Company in Bac Kan province was not surprised after hearing that Vinh Phuc Province’s Science & Technology Department imported an NF105 incinerator worth VND2.25 billion from Thailand and another seven incinerators later. 

He knew that Vietnamese preferred foreign-made products rather than domestically made ones. However, he said foreign-made incinerators might do more harm than good. 

There are differences in Vietnamese and foreign waste; in many cases, foreign incinerators may even cause problems or be useless.

“In other countries, waste is classified before it is put into treatment. In Vietnam waste is not classified. Treating waste with foreign-made incinerators cannot ensure environmental safety,” he warned.

The inventor of a low-cost incinerator, Nang understands the features and efficiency of incinerators of different kinds. However, he finds it difficult to sell incinerators because buyers prefer foreign made products.

Nang’s incinerator burns garbage at a high temperature of 1,800oC which allows complete burning of waste with the capacity of 30-50 kilos per hour. 

Meanwhile, the dust & smoke treatment unit ensures that dioxin and furan will not be recreated during the burning process.

The great advantage of Nang’s incinerator is low operation cost – VND5,000 per kilo when treating waste with diesel and VND2,000 per kilo with waste oil.

The incinerator is the first product of its kind in Vietnam which can satisfy the National Standard No 30 set by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment.

“When I introduced my incinerator in Cao Bang, local officials said they liked it very much, but they did not have money to buy,” he said.

“When I talked about the incinerator in other localities, local officials hesitated to buy it because the incinerator has not been used in other provinces,” he complained.

A thermal technology expert noted that local authorities prefer imports because they get benefits when buying products from overseas.

“No one knows the real value of foreign made products and technologies. It is easy to exaggerate the import price,” he noted.

Dat Viet