Businesses are cautious about investing in energy-saving technology.

DNVN - Although clearly aware of the benefits of using energy economically and efficiently is a matter of survival, many businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, are still hesitant to invest in energy-saving technology due to cost barriers and incomplete legal corridors.

Capital and policy barriers

At the seminar "Using energy economically and efficiently: a sustainable investment problem for businesses" held on the afternoon of October 2 in Hanoi, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Loi - Editor-in-Chief of Economic & Urban Newspaper affirmed that using energy economically is not only an important condition to ensure national energy security but also the key to achieving sustainable development goals.

“For the business community, energy saving is not only a social responsibility, but also a strategic investment, vital in the context of a green economy, circular economy and deep international integration,” Mr. Loi emphasized.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Nguyen Van - Vice President of Hanoi Supporting Industry Enterprises Association (HANSIBA) said that in the context of the global climate change and resource depletion, efficient energy use has become a top priority. The core benefit of manufacturing and business enterprises is from energy saving, helping to reduce operating costs and improve production efficiency.

Although clearly aware of its importance, in reality, the path of businesses investing in energy-saving technology still has many obstacles.

Sharing from the reality of more than 300 HANSIBA members, Mr. Nguyen Van said that many businesses have to pay billions of dong for electricity every month. Although they are very interested in energy saving policies, they still face 4 main difficulties. These are changing awareness and energy usage behavior; investment costs for renewing production lines and modern technology are too high; human resources are not uniform, limited in accessing new technology; incentive mechanisms and policies are still in the process of being perfected.

Speakers participating in the discussion "Using energy economically and efficiently: a sustainable investment problem for businesses".

Assessing the biggest barrier, according to Mr. Van, is the initial investment cost. “The key point now is that small and medium-sized enterprises want to save, but the initial cost for innovation is still limited…”, Mr. Van said.

In addition, transparency and clarity in the legal framework are also key factors. If investors do not have a clear legal framework on production plans, input and output costs, they will not be able to participate with confidence.

Deputy Head of the Management Board of Hanoi High-Tech Parks and Industrial Parks (IPs) Tran Anh Tuan assessed that most enterprises in industrial parks are now aware of the importance of energy saving. This not only helps reduce production costs but also meets the increasingly strict requirements of the international market on green standards and sustainable development.

However, many enterprises in industrial parks still face many difficulties when implementing energy saving solutions. The biggest problem is that the initial investment cost is often quite high, especially for small and medium enterprises, while the capital for technological innovation is limited. Many production lines are old and consume a lot of energy, but replacement or renovation is hindered due to the high cost. In addition, many enterprises do not have a team of technical experts with enough capacity to access and implement advanced solutions.

Need clear support policies

According to Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, many enterprises in the industrial park have proposed specific recommendations to promote this process. They want procedures for accessing green credit capital to be simplified, policies to support technological innovation for small and medium enterprises to be clarified, and at the same time, energy auditing activities to be strengthened to have appropriate orientation.

Some businesses also propose building an ecological industrial park model, where units link up to reuse by-products and optimize the energy chain.

From the perspective of the management agency, Mr. Cu Huy Quang - Head of the Department of Energy Efficiency and Green Transformation, Department of Innovation, Green Transformation and Industrial Promotion ( Ministry of Industry and Trade ) said that in order for businesses to boldly invest, the Ministry is coordinating with financial institutions to build risk reduction mechanisms.

Including a credit guarantee mechanism for energy saving projects, especially prioritizing small and medium enterprises. Support interest rates or preferential loans from green development funds and environmental protection funds. Promote the ESCO model (energy service company), helping businesses not have to invest initial capital but gradually pay the cost from the money saved. Along with that are preferential tax policies and fast depreciation for energy-saving equipment and technology.

Mr. Quang added that the Ministry of Industry and Trade is working closely with the State Bank, the World Bank and international financial institutions to develop green credit packages, and at the same time connecting with local authorities to pilot support models.

At the discussion, opinions agreed that energy transition is a strategic process, requiring the cooperation of the entire system.

"We hope that the discussion will spread into concrete actions - contributing to creating a proactive, effective business community that accompanies the country's goal of sustainable energy development," said Mr. Nguyen Van - Vice President of HANSIBA.

Minh Thu

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/doanh-nghiep/doanh-nghiep-de-dat-dau-tu-vao-cong-nghe-tiet-kiem-nang-luong/20251002053036398