The Crown Prince of Denmark witnessed MOU sign in energy efficiency

HUST and Danfoss Company officially signed a cooperation agreement with the witness of Denmark Crown Prince Frederik during his official visit to Vietnam on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Denmark. 

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between HUST and Danfoss Vietnam is one of 14 bilateral cooperation agreements witnessed by the Denmark Crown Prince, Princess and high-ranking representatives of the Government of Vietnam. The signing ceremony took part within the framework of the Opening Ceremony of the Vietnam-Denmark Sustainable Energy Summit Forum held on November 1st in Hanoi.

The cooperation agreement between the two parties was signed to ensure sustainable development and energy efficiency through training and research activities. Specifically, the two sides will focus on developing programs to sponsor experimental equipment and student scholarships, deploy research projects to create clean refrigeration technology in Vietnam and work in non-profit joint projects.
 

According to Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Viet Dung, Vice-Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning community is the first to develop a specific action plan to meet the national goal of climate change adaptation through the replacement of ozone-depleting refrigerants and potent greenhouse gas. These actions is one way to deliver on Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's strong commitment towards net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 at the Climate Change Summit of the United Nations in 2021 (COP 26).

As climate change becomes more drastic, the need for thermostats increases. Of the total commercial electricity consumption in 2016 in Vietnam, the refrigeration and air conditioning sector accounted for 15%. This figure could reach close to 30% by 2030.

According to a report by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the refrigeration and air conditioning sector contributes 12-15% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in Vietnam. This figure may rise to about 70% if including the thermal energy sector. Therefore, the process of green transformation and green technology creation in the field of refrigeration and air conditioning is very important. 

“Universities and experts will always accompany state agencies and businesses in the process of building a green future”, Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Viet Dung affirmed.

Sharing the goals of reducing carbon emissions and converting clean energy, the Crown Prince stated that Denmark would always be a companion with Vietnam towards sustainable green growth goals.
 

Established in 1933 in Denmark, Danfoss is one of the world's leading technology groups in the field of industrial refrigeration, providing automation, energy saving and emission reduction solutions. Before that, Danfoss had many cooperations with the staff of the School of Mechanical Engineering (HUST) through research projects and Ph.D. student sponsorship.

“We want to work with the best universities, and HUST is the largest technical university in Vietnam, especially in refrigeration and air conditioning technology. We feel very excited when the two sides officially promote close cooperation because we can bring advanced technologies, while HUST has highly-qualified engineers,” said Niels Robert Arbjerg, President of Danfoss Asia-Pacific.

The visit was organized on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries with the aim of promoting Danish investment in renewable energy, specifically wind power and energy efficiency in Vietnam. 

After large-scale Danish enterprises (Lego, Pandora…) invested in Vietnam, in the first 9 months of 2022, Denmark has risen to the 3rd position among the largest investing economies in Vietnam ($1.32 billion).

The Danish royal family has a long historical relationship with Vietnam. Queen Margrethe II and Crown Prince Frederick both have a very special affection for Vietnam because the late Prince Henrik spent the few first years of his life living in Hanoi. In 2009, Crown Prince Frederick, along with parents and wife, had his first state visit to Vietnam. He maintained diplomatic activities after that, such as visiting Vietnam on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of relations between the two countries and congratulating the National Day on September 2nd…