Vietnam National Cement Corp (VICEM) and FLSmidth have announced their cooperation “to pioneer new solutions to significantly improve the sustainability of the cement sector in Vietnam”.

The focus of the agreement will be to implement technologies that considerably reduce greenhouse gas emissions, find new alternative fuel solutions and ways to further improve air quality.

The cooperation between the two companies includes the commitment to jointly develop industrial-scale innovations to accelerate sustainable cement production. A key focus will be on the utilisation of municipal and other waste streams as alternative fuel sources, thereby preventing air pollution from waste burning, for instance. While management of waste is a growing concern in Vietnam, FLSmidth is developing solutions that enable a 100 per cent switch to alternative fuels, which can reduce carbon emissions by approximately 33 per cent. Other areas of the partnership will focus on solutions related to energy efficiency and waste-heat recovery.

“The cement sector is a complex industry with significant environmental footprint.To improve, it can adopt scientific solutions and technologies from other industries. At the same time, a cement sector focussed on sustainable development can positively impact other industries as well. VICEM and FLSmidth are enterprises with significant experiences and expertise, and share a joint vision to research and pioneer innovations to create the next generation's technology for more sustainable production in the cement industry,” said Bùi Hông Minh, VICEM’s CEO.

“As part of the partnership Zero emission and natural cycle, our companies will focus on utilisation of municipal and other waste streams as alternative materials, combustion of waste for heat energy substitution, improvement of energy efficiency, application of new clean energies into production and human life. We are happy to share 120 years of experience and expertise to serve Vietnam's as well as world markets with products contributing to the a more sustainable environment and in,” he added.

Per Mejnert Kristensen, region president for FLSmidth, said: ”The transition of the cement sector towards more sustainable production requires collective action and leadership. We are proud that we have signed this important partnership with the leading cement producer in Vietnam with the goal of developing breakthrough innovations that will significantly increase the sustainability of the Vietnamese cement industry. We have set an ambition in our MissionZero programme to enable our customers to move towards zero emissions, and this partnership is an important step for the sector and the people of Vietnam.”