Vietnamese officials and lecturers from the U.K.’s leading research universities discussed opportunities to develop and apply new clean energy resources at a conference in Danang city on Sept 10. The U.K.-Vietnam clean energy conference (U.K.-VN CECE 2012) focused on the use of solar, wind and tide-generated energy in Vietnam and the U.K. alike as well as research to turn waste into environmentally friendly products. British scientists mentioned the latest research projects to develop wind and tidal energy technology and turn cooking oil waste from restaurants and hotels into biodiesel. At the conference, representatives from the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade said that they are involved in a number of projects under the national target energy-saving program. Vietnam’s industrial development strategy for the 2011-2020 period with a vision to 2030 aims to promote the efficient use of energy, renewable energy and energy-saving technologies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the development of sustainable organic agriculture. Solar and wind energy are clean, renewable sources that are becoming increasingly popular in many countries, especially in developing economies such as Vietnam. Realizing the importance and benefits of such sustainable sources of energy and facing increasing demand for power, Vietnam decided recently to give greater scrutiny to studying, surveying, encouraging, and supporting foreign and domestic firms to invest in renewable energy projects. Development of new and renewable energy was included in Vietnam’s national energy development strategy through 2020, with a vision towards 2050. This strategy sets specific targets to increase the percentage of new and renewable energy sources to 3% of total commercial primary power by 2010, 5% by 2020, and 11% by 2050. (vietnamplus.vn Sept 10, vovnews.vn Sept 10, An Ninh Thu Do – Capital Security Sept 11 p17)
