Ha Noi has called for investments from Finland in water supply, renewable energy, waste treatment and smart-city solutions.

Speaking at a working session on Monday with Petri Peltonen, under-secretary of state at the Finland Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Nguyen The Hung, deputy chairman of Ha Noi People’s Committee, said that the co-operation between the two countries and of Ha Noi with major cities of Finland had brought about many good results.

Highly appreciating Finland’s support in clean water supply since the 1990s, Hung said that the Mai Dich clean water plant built by Finland was still one of the best clean water plants in Ha Noi, which had contributed significantly to the development of the capital city.

However, with a rising population, now at around 10 million, clean water supply has become a pressing issue for Ha Noi.

The capital city was focusing its resources to ensure adequate water supply for citizens with an aim of reaching an average capacity of 180 litres per head per day. At the same time, the city was moving to stop the exploitation of underground water and the transfer to the use of surface water.

“Ha Noi always welcomes investors with a capacity in providing effective water supply solutions, especially from Finland,” Hung said.

In renewable energy, the capital city expected to receive investments in treating waste into energy.

It was estimated that around 6,000-8,000 tonnes of waste was disposed daily in the capital city but the waste was mainly treated by landfill.

Ha Noi is actively calling for investments in treating waste, using modern technologies to convert waste into electricity, which might be connected to the national power grid.

Besides, Ha Noi was taking initial steps to develop into a smart city and this was also a potential investment sector for Finnish investors.

According to Peltonen, Ha Noi and Finland had significant opportunities to boost co-operation. With experiences in the fields of energy and environment, Finnish businesses were willing to share experiences and become important partners of Ha Noi. — VNS