Foreign investors have shown their interest in production of lighting systems using light-emitting diode (LED) technology which are 30-90 percent more efficient than incandescent light bulbs.—Photo thietbichieusang

HA NOI (Biz Hub)— Foreign investors have shown their interest in production of lighting systems using light-emitting diode (LED) technology which are 30-90 percent more efficient than incandescent light bulbs.

At the recent Environment and Energy Technology (ENTECH) Hanoi 2013 Exhibition, China 's Hua Bo Industrial Company said it will build a US$5 million factory in Viet Nam to produce LED lights.

The company has applied for an investment certificate, which is expected to be granted in the next one or two months. It will start operation next September, with over 200 types of LED lights and devices used in the electronics industry.

According to the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hua Bo's project is one of numerous LED projects to come to Viet Nam in the coming time.

The adoption of LED technology in other countries as well as in Viet Nam proves that this technology will gradually replace traditional household lighting.

At present, there are only a few foreign companies investing in factories here to manufacture LEDs, most businesses import the products from other countries to distribute in Viet Nam .

The first company to manufacture LED products in Viet Nam is Green Power Kim Dinh (Fawoo Kidi), a joint venture of Viet Nam's Kim Dinh company and Fawoo from the Republic of Korea .

The company has been successfully installing LED lighting systems at numerous large works such as Thuan Phuoc bridge in Da Nang City, Hoa Lac hi-tech park in Ha Noi, and the Hi-Tech Park in HCM City .

Nguyen Thi Bac Kinh, an expert from VAST , said the performances of several world-class companies in LED technology such as Philips, LG, Osram and Nitria in Viet Nam were very good.

According to an Osram representative, the company's revenue in Viet Nam is $7.5 million per year. It is now deploying a range of projects in many five-star hotels in Viet Nam , including Sheraton, Sofitel Plaza , Metropole Plaza , Hilton and Movenpick in Ha Noi , Sheraton, Kum Ho, Saigon Centre and Liberty Riverside in HCM City .

Osram is only involved with high-class projects, since the price of LED lighting is still higher than normal products.

Kinh said the high price of LED lights was limiting their appearance in households and public works.

To ensure the effectiveness and sustainable development of Viet Nam's high efficiency lighting market, Chairman of the VAST Science and Technology Council Phan Hong Khoi stressed the necessity of support for the domestic lighting industry, to approach and master the modern lighting technology, especially LED technology.

Accordingly, the State should list lighting manufacturing using LED technology in the high technology field, upgrade the two quality check laboratories from national to international standards, and build a national quality standard for LED light sets.

More importantly, there must be incentive and support policies for enterprises and research institutes to approach and develop high efficiency lighting technology in general and LED technology in particular, he added. — VNS