Developing green and sustainable Con Dao

Many projects and solutions are being implemented in Con Dao special economic zone (HCMC) to realize the strategy of developing this place into a modern, green, smart and sustainable marine ecological economic zone.

On September 4, the 110kV Con Dao transformer station was officially energized, bringing national grid electricity to the island, marking the end of complete dependence on diesel electricity and overcoming the decades-long power shortage.

The project, with a total investment of nearly 5,000 billion VND, using an undersea cable from Vinh Chau, Can Tho City to connect to the island, has opened a new chapter for sustainable development in Con Dao.

Students in Con Dao special zone (HCMC) classify garbage at source to protect the environment.

Recently, Ho Chi Minh City Electricity Corporation (EVNHCMC) continued to start the project "Building a smart grid in Con Dao special zone". Mr. Luan Quoc Hung, Deputy General Director of EVNHCMC, said: "This is not only a power engineering project, but also a milestone marking a profound change in the digital transformation of the electricity industry, improving the reliability of power supply, optimizing operations and minimizing environmental impacts".

In the next phase, EVNHCMC will deploy microgrid models, integrate battery energy storage systems (BESS), develop renewable energy and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. These solutions will bring the quality of electricity in Con Dao special economic zone to the same level as in Ho Chi Minh City's inner city, while bringing modern digital utilities to people and businesses.

Economic sectors such as tourism, environment, transportation, etc. have also been implementing green transformation to guide the sustainable development of Con Dao special economic zone. Mr. Pham Vuong Bao, Deputy Director of the Public Transport Management Center, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, said that the center has proposed 6 electric bus routes in Con Dao special economic zone; encouraged people to switch from gasoline vehicles to electric motorbikes; reviewed infrastructure to ensure the development of a charging station system.

In addition to switching to green transportation, the Con Dao special zone government is also calling for investment in a waste incineration plant in the Ben Dam area with an area of ​​1.92 hectares. The plant has a designed capacity of 36 tons of waste/day, and will increase its capacity to 66.23 tons of waste/day, using advanced technology to burn and recover energy.

Previously, the project "Collection and treatment of wastewater in the central area of ​​​​Con Dao district" phase 1 with a total investment of more than 198 billion VND has been put into operation since December 2023, contributing to fundamentally changing the way wastewater is treated in the area. Instead of spontaneous discharge as before, wastewater from restaurants, hotels, eateries... is led to the factory through the collection system. Here, all wastewater is treated to standards before being discharged into the environment.

Similarly, the waste classification at source has also been implemented by the Con Dao special zone government, bringing positive effects on environmental protection, spreading to the community and tourists.

According to Mr. Phan Trong Hien, Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Dao Special Zone, the locality has identified green infrastructure development as a top priority, such as treating 100% of wastewater; reusing rainwater; applying renewable energy; electrifying public transport and ending the use of disposable plastics at tourist and service establishments... When these goals are achieved, not only will the quality of life of islanders be improved but the economy will also develop more strongly.

Con Dao Special Economic Zone aims to have 100% of vehicles meeting emission standards by 2030; 57% of motorbikes and two-wheeled vehicles running on electricity; a bus network covering the entire island; 40% of travel needs met by public transport; 100% of taxis running on electricity or using renewable energy; new or upgraded roads all having separate lanes for bicycles.

QUANG VU

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/phat-trien-con-dao-xanh-va-ben-vung-post816507.html