Use of non-fired bricks promoted

The project aims to boost the national goal of developing non-fired brick materials by 2020 by promoting non-fired bricks to replace fired bricks by 25 per cent in 2015 and 40 per cent by 2020, use 15-20 million tonnes of industrial waste and save about 1,000 hectares of agricultural land per year. — File Photo

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — A conference was held in Ha Noi on Friday to launch a project on the promotion of non-fired brick production and utilisation in Viet Nam.

The conference, which was co-organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Construction, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Viet Nam, was aimed at introducing contents, strategies, and plans to implement the project to attract public attention, as well as seek the opinion of organisations and enterprises for turning it into a success.

Cutting down on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is essential as the global climate is changing, according to Tran Van Tung, deputy minister of science and technology.

The project aims to reduce the annual growth rate of greenhouse gas (GHG) by displacing the use of fossil fuels and the use of good quality soil for making bricks by the increased production, sale, and utilisation of non-fired bricks (NFBs) in Viet Nam.

Funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF), the five-year project requires a total investment of nearly US$39 million, of which GEF will provide $2.8 million as non-refundable aid through the UNDP.

While direct GHG reduction is estimated at 383 ktonnes CO2 in the first five years of the project (2015-19), indirect reduction is expected to be 13,409 ktonnes CO2, which is cumulative for a 10-year period at the end of the project.

The project will also meet the goals of the nation's environment protection strategy, such as reducing environment pollution sources; surmounting and improving environment in polluted and degraded areas; improving people's living conditions; and lessening the degradation of natural resources.

Pham Van Bac, deputy director of the Department of Building Materials under the Ministry of Construction, said non-fired building materials have fewer harmful gas emissions, use less fuel, and mainly use wastes as raw materials.

Non-fired building materials are also light-weight, sound, and thermal insulating.

Praising the project, Louise Chamberlain, country director of the UNDP in Viet Nam, noted that it would contribute to the "green" factor in the Vietnamese construction sector, reduce climate change, and contribute to the country's green growth strategy.

Nguyen Dinh Hau, director of the project, also presented about the four component programs of the project, including a policy to support the NFB technology application; technical capacity building on the NFB technology application and operation and use of the NFB products; and sustainable financing support for the NFB technology application, investment, and replication. — VNS