The electricity plant at Go Cat rubbish dump was the first in Ho Chi Minh City to create power from waste, with a capacity of 750kW. The factory began operation in July 2005 and has provided 6.5 million kWh, with turnover of VND 4.2 billion (equivalent US$ 262,000). Its electricity will soon be offered on the national grid.

The electricity plant at Go Cat, now operating at only one-third of its capacity, is expecting two other generators in the near future, which should increase its power output threefold.

Even larger amounts of electricity could be generated at Phuoc Hiep 1 rubbish dump in Cu Chi District, which has four million tonnes of waste. The other big rubbish dump, Dong Thanh, now closed, contains 8 million tonnes of waste.

"The City could also use mud from canals and animal manure to produce energy and it could make biogas from recycled vegetable oil," said Vu Thi Hong Thuy of the Ho Chi Minh City Agriculture and Forestry University.

Local authorities said an additional 60 recycling power plants are expected to be built from now to 2010.
"One of the reasons that we can’t popularize green electricity is the low buying price from the Vietnam Electricity Corporation (EVN), only four US cents per kWh," said Nguyen Trung Viet, chief of the Solid Waste Management Division, City’s Natural Resources and Environment Department. He added: "With this price, producers suffer losses and the development of clean electricity is limited". EVN has said it would not buy high and then sell electricity at a low price.

The City's the Natural Resources and Environment Department has asked the central Government to develop a policy to support clean electricity, but there has not been a response yet.

The Go Cat electricity plant is still producing electricity and sells power for four cents per each kWh. It can do so because of financial assistance from foreign partners and the Ho Chi Minh City. To develop the market, the price for clean electricity should be seven cents for each kWh, officials said, but EVN will not accept that price.

"That’s the reason why many investors have expressed concerns about the field, and there are few such factories operating," Mr. Viet said.

As for biogas, the current energy supply from this fuel is only enough for household consumption. To develop energy from animal manure, the Ho Chi Minh City would need farms that feed more than 20,000 pigs, experts said. Other sources of green energy, like solar and wind, are still limited in Vietnam due to expensive technology and a lack of awareness about environmental issues. Mrs. Thuy said: "We will have to wait a long time to see green energy serve daily life here”.

Source: Vietnam News, May 16, 2007