Vietnam Can Produce 1.2 Billion kWh of Power from Rice Husks Yearly: Survey
Vietnam can use a fifth of its rice husk output estimated at around 7.5 million in 2010 to produce between 1 billion and 1.2 billion kWh of electricity a year, said a research by the International Financial Corporation (IFC).
IFC announced the comprehensive research project co-sponsored by Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland on rice husk-to-power potential in Vietnam at a seminar in Ho Chi Minh City on Nov. 12.
The estimated electricity production is equivalent to an output of a power plant that has a capacity of between 160 MW and 180 MW, IFC said at the seminar jointly held by the IFC, the World Bank, and the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade.
IFC said the Mekong Delta region boasts the greatest potential to develop rice husk-to-power plants as up to between 80% and 85% of regional rice husk volume has not yet been used.
However, some analysts proposed that Vietnam should consider carefully rice husk-to-power development but should burn the material to dry rice in the region and in the Red River Delta area.
Vietnam has built five plants to produce coal from rice husks for exports in the Mekong Delta region and investors are keen on this field due to low costs and high profits.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the World Bank are forming a legal framework on encouragement of renewable energy, including rice husk-to-power projects, said Deputy Director Le Tuan Phong of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Energy Department.
He noted that three rice husk-to-power plants are under construction in Tien Giang and Dong Thap provinces and Can Tho City in the southern region, which are estimated to consume a combined 300,000 tons of rice husks per year when fully operational. (Local sources)
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