Mekong deltas

"Logistic costs accounts for 30 percent of product price, which is an unreasonably high proportion. In Thailand the figure is 12.5 percent, and the average global figure, 14 percent. This hinders Mekong Delta agriculture products from competing with equivalents from Thailand and China," said Pham Tien Hoai, chairman of Hau Giang Business Association. Ngo Tuong Vy, deputy director of Chanh Thu Import-Export Limited Company, specializing in agriculture products, said: "Air transport fees for fresh Vietnamese dragon fruit to Japan is $6 per kilogram." She said fresh fruit need to be well-preserved after harvest so it could be exported by sea to reduce costs. Mekong Delta contributes 90 percent of the country’s rice exports, 65 percent of seafood exports, and 70 percent of fruit exports. It has a total seven ports, of which the largest is Long An International Port in southern Long An Province. The latter can accommodate cargo ships with a capacity of 70,000 tons. The second largest is Cai Cui Port in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, which can handle 20,000 ton cargo vessels. It also has 57 inland waterway ports. Experts say the Mekong Delta waterway traffic system is of low quality, limiting the capacity of cargo ships operating in the area. There are only two ways to reach Hau River ports via either Dinh An and Quan Chan Bo estuaries. However, the Dinh An estuary has not been dredged for years and can only handle cargo ships of 3,000 tons. The Quan Chanh Bo estuary can handle cargo ships from 7,000-10,000 tons, but does not have breakwaters, meaning vessels can only operate at low speed to prevent waves from affecting nearby aquaculture projects. Thus, ships normally take a day to pass through the 26-kilometer Quan Chanh Bo estuary. Heads of export firms said Mekong Delta lacks deep-water ports for container ships serving export, besides logistic centers, warehouses and irradiation facilities. Agriculture products from Mekong Delta have to be shipped …

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The latest draft of the country’s power development plan puts focus on renewable energy development – however, the Mekong Delta should see more attention in the development of renewables to protect its assets in the long run. Mekong Delta long-term future relying on renewables, illustration photo The latest draft of the National Power Development Plan 8 (PDP8) calculates with an expected commercial power capacity estimated at 491 billion kWh by 2030, and 877 billion kWh by 2045. To develop power capacity, the total installed power generation is planned to hit 137.2GW, contributed by 27 per cent coal-fired power, 21 per cent thermal gas, 18 per cent hydropower, and 29 per cent renewable energies, as well as 4 per cent imported energy by 2030. By 2045, the capacity of installed power is planned to be around 276.7GW, supplied by 18 per cent coal thermal power, 24 per cent thermal gas, 9 per cent hydropower, and 44 per cent of renewable energies, as well as 2 per cent of imported energy. “The PDP8 highlights the evolvement of renewables, in addition to hydropower, with a significant increase from 13 per cent in 2020 to nearly 30 per cent in 2030 and 44 per cent in 2045, while most other sources will be reduced,” said Le Anh Tuan, deputy director of Can Tho University’s Research Institute for Climate Change. In the view of Tuan, the draft PDP8 is different in many ways to its predecessor, removing 5,000MW of coal thermal power and significantly raising the contribution ratio of renewable energies. However, Tuan also raised some issues like capital sources, the suitability of green finance solutions, and banking that are all also mentioned in the Politburo’s Resolution No.55-NQ/TW dated October 2, 2020 on the orientation of Vietnam’s National Energy Development Strategy until 2030 and outlook to 2045. It will be tough for coal power projects to mobilise capital in the future, because numerous global financial institutions are divesting from …

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Nine returnees test positive for Covid-19 The Saigon Times A soldier is waiting for Covid-19 vaccination. The Ministry of Health has confirmed nine new Covid-19 patients who were quarantined in Kien Giang Province after returning to the country - PHOTO: VNA HCMC - The Ministry of Health has confirmed nine new Covid-19 patients who were quarantined in Kien Giang Province after returning to the country, taking Vietnam’s tally to 2,692 as of tonight, April 10. One woman and eight men, aged between 23 and 29, entered Vietnam through the Ha Tien international border gate in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang on April 8. They tested positive for Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, a day later. The residents of Haiphong, Thai Nguyen, Lang Son and Thanh Hoa provinces are receiving treatment at Ha Tien City Healthcare Center. Up to now, 2,429 Covid-19 patients in Vietnam have made a full recovery. Among the active Covid-19 cases, 50 patients have tested negative for the disease one to three times. In related news, the ministry has allocated 18,500 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to the north-central province of Nghe An. The volume was part of the shipment provided by Covax Facility. These doses are set to be administered to medical frontliners in the province, the local media reported. …

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