Energised for battery objectives

Germany’s Sachen Anhalt state is seeking a local partner for a big project to produce equipment used for manufacturing solar batteries in Vietnam.

Deltef Schubert, State Secretary of Sachen Anhalt’s Ministry of Economy and Labour, told Vietnam’s Planning and Investment (MPI) deputy minister Dang Huy Dong that his state’s government wished to plant a €60 million ($80 million) project in Vietnam, which would both act as a hi-tech factory making equipment earmarked for manufacturing solar batteries and a modern clean energy hi-tech research institute.

Schubert proposed the project’s capital could be equally invested by both sides.

Before coming to Vietnam, Schubert visited many European countries, Japan, Indonesia and China, where this type of industry is strongly developing, to find project partners. However, Vietnam is selected as it has enough conditions for the project. For example, the country is greatly potential in developing renewable energy sources.

“We want to bring modern technology and know-how to Vietnam and help the country increase made-in-Vietnam technological content in its technological exports. Products of this project will be cheaper than made-in-China products and will be used domestically and exported,” he said.

Schubert said he had met with Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang to discuss this project and Hoang basically agreed on it.

Sachen Anhalt state is home to hundreds of factories making battery-related products, which occupies over 8 per cent of the world’s market and 80 per cent of Europe’s market.

Dong recommended that the project should be located at Hanoi’s Lang-Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, with special investment incentives given to this type of projects by the park and the government.

“The project is quite suitable to Vietnam’s hi-tech development strategy. We want this project to come true as soon as possible,” Dong told Schubert.

However, he wanted Schubert to give the MPI more details about the project, so that more discussion could be made by local relevant agencies. Schubert said the project could be prepared by both sides, including scientists and researchers, and relevant agencies.

Also at the talks, Schubert asked Dong about a possibility about whether Vietnamese government could consider using German technology for the controversial project of building the 1,570 kilometre north-south railway.

He also asked the MPI to help German makers of port-related equipment that coveted potential windfalls from investing into ports in Vietnam.

Dong said that Vietnam was in dire need of such investors, because Vietnam was boosting construction of its sea-oriented economy, in which ports played a pivotal role.

“As for the railway project, German technology will be considered seriously,” Dong said.

Sachen Anhalt state has a population of 4.6 million, and its gross domestic product reached $80 billion in 2009. – VIR

Tags: Sachen Anhalt