On July 13, Mr. Markus Bissel – Head of Vietnamese-German Energy Dialogue, implemented by the GIZ/ESP, along with the project officers in charge had a meeting with the Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Industry and Trade (DOIT) and the Hepza Businesses Association (HBA) to discuss opportunities for cooperation to establish and pilot an Energy Efficiency Club (EEC) in the city.
The meeting was participated by representatives of the DOIT, the President, Vice Presidents and managers of HBA, as well as experts from Enerteam.
During these two working sessions, GIZ’s experts have introduced the model of the Energy Efficiency Club, how it works, as well as the benefits for participating businesses of the Club. These Clubs will help connect businesses that are geographically close to each other and have relatively similar features, enabling them to support each other in terms of technology, machinery, and equipment. Thereby, it will help to improve the quality of energy audits and energy management in each company. The businesses can thus learn from each other and expand their network to prestigious consulting firms in the sector.
The model of the Energy Efficiency Network is an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and was established in Germany in 2014. By 2020, about 500 energy efficiency networks have been established and operating across Germany. This model has also been replicated in South Africa, Mexico, and China.
In Viet Nam, the Energy Efficiency Network has been renamed to the Energy Efficiency Club to match the actual situation. In 2019, the first Energy Efficiency Club model was piloted by GIZ in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Trade with the participation of 8 enterprises. In this pilot project, 34 out of 60 energysaving solutions were implemented, helping businesses save about 5.2 million kWh annually. However, the model has not been replicated sustainably in Viet Nam.
Throughout the meeting, GIZ suggested that the DOIT will be the focal point for state management supporting enterprises and able to participate in the pilot process within 2 years. When this process is completed, the DOIT and the HBA can jointly support to replicate this model in Viet Nam.
