Dr. Chu Van Nguyen said that chemical production discharges large amounts of gases, liquids and solid waste containing chemicals or impurities harmful to human health and the environment. Green chemistry uses environmentally friendly principles while making a full use of natural resources, and minimizing use of harmful and toxic substances in chemical product design, manufacturing and use, he said. Waste control has great potential for cost reduction and can be applied in all areas of the chemical industry, he added.

Nguyen said that green chemistry is welcomed and applied widely worldwide because it combines economic development with environment protection. Many green chemistry principles relate to climate change, energy efficiency and natural resource (including water resource) management not confined to just one nation or region, but also the whole world.

Talking about possibilities to apply green chemistry in Vinachem, Dr. Chu Van Nguyen emphasized that environmental pollution control is developing strongly in Vinachem to improve production efficiency and profits and minimize the impact of production on the environment. Vinachem has strengthened management, replaced toxic chemicals with less toxic chemicals, reduced or changed input materials, and applied advanced production lines to reduce energy consumption while recycling wastewater, Nguyen said. These efforts initially satisfy green chemistry principles, Nguyen added.

Vinachem businesses have been developing their application of environmentally friendly technology while maintaining their traditional products and renovating technology in order to more efficiently use natural resources and decrease waste discharge into the environment. They have also used less harmful input materials for production.

High technology solutions have been applied in chemical production, such as automation, information technology (IT) and material technology to improve production and energy efficiency and minimize waste.

Dr. Chu Van Nguyen said that new construction and upgrading projects need to be implemented with less polluting technologies to minimize environment pollution. Referring to sulfuric acid production technology, Vinachem factories use double approach technology that allows the absorption of an amount of active, heat resistant catalysts twice the conventional quantity. With this technology, heat used in the sulfur burning processes can produce high pressure steam for electricity generation and heat supply to other jobs like phosphoric acid condensation in a DAP factory. New factories have a High Energy Recovery System and reach a heat recovery rate of up to 95 percent. Sulfuric acid production technology is highly suitable with the Lao Cai Ore as it is easy to operate, requires a low maintenance expense, can run for a prolonged period of operation and satisfies environmental requirements.

Other chemical industries including paint and detergent producers, industrial gas, electric welding rod, and apatite ore mining have rapidly grown and expanded their market share through intensive investment and technology and equipment renovation, helping protect the environment.

Vinachem businesses have implemented thousands of projects, many of which include research on energy efficiency, waste minimization, water recycling and reuse, and greener products that contain less harmful biologically-friendly compounds. They have received a range of prestigious awards for environmental technology science. Outstanding projects include the 'dry lead battery production' that gained a Third VIFOTEC Prize, the 'Researching technological solutions to produce close and industrial batteries pertaining to cleaner production' that gained a Second VIFOTEC Prize, and the 'Research to produce bio-diesel oil from domestic waste animal and plant fat' that gained a Third VIFOTEC Prize in 2009.

Dr. Chu Van Nguyen emphasized that green chemistry is still the most effective pollution control solution. The application of green chemistry's environmentally-friendly principles have contributed to Vinachem's sustainable development while bringing in economic, environmental and social benefits.

He emphasized that although Vinachem had recorded significant achievements and made an effective contribution to technological renovation from 2006-2010 it needed to continue improving the application of modern technology in all fields of the group. It is also necessary to combine new investment with upgrading and intensively investing in existing chemical industrial facilities, promptly renovating technology and adopting advanced technology that promotes energy efficiency, material and fuel savings, water recycling and reuse and toxic waste minimization to assure sustainable development./.
Source: VEN