Currently, Vietnam has about 20 waste-to-power projects; however, only three factories have been put into operation. In the southern region, only Can Tho has a waste-to-power plant in Thoi Lai district with a capacity of about 400 tonnes per day while Ho Chi Minh City has five such projects but one has suspended operation and another one has been delayed for years due to legal issues. Up to 69% of the waste is dumped at landfills, generating significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the Ho Chi Minh city. Ho Chi Minh’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DONRE) and USAID jointly organized a conference on technology and finance for waste-to-energy projects on April 11. The city has coordinated with USAID to implement a project to support and promote the development of renewable energy as well as energy efficiency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, demonstrating a common responsibility to the international community. At the conference, participants pointed out the shortcomings of support policies for power generated from waste. They proposed revising legal regulations and procedures in the field and building a carbon credit mechanism.
