Current and on-going projects
Completed projects
| Biogas | Micro Hydropower | Improved Stoves |
The Vacvina Advanced Biodigester is an innovative, low-maintenance biogas digester and combines the best qualities of three older models: the plastic, fixed dome and septic tank digesters.
EASE-Vietnam will spread this technology in Thanh Hoa Province, expecting to reach 250 households, which means about 1250 people. The project started in August and two training courses have been given since, one on construction, maintenance and repair of the biodigester, the other a training in organisational issues and marketing skills.
Two demonstration units were built during the training in the Ha Trung district. This raised the local people’s interest despite some initial scepticism about biogas, because many of the fixed dome models that had been introduced in the area before stopped operating.
The results of a first demonstration visit by the project showed that more attention should be given to promotion to convince people to use biogas again. One way of doing this is by setting up biogas showrooms in the communes.
Cao Bien village lies in the mountainous north of Vietnam and has no hope for connection to the national electricity grid. To provide the 200 people in this village with electricity, national EASE partner RCEE is installing a mini hydropower plant with the capacity of 11KW and developing a suitable management and operational model for the plant.
All construction work is completed. The main dam, the power house and the penstock have been built, the electric generator has been assembled and, with the help of the villagers, all electric poles have been put in place. What still needs to be done is the installation of the generator and the installation of transmission lines. This is expected to be finalised by mid-October.
The villagers in Cao Bien are looking forward to the day when they can access electricity. Interviews with the villagers indicate that they do expect the project to improve their living conditions. Electric light will enable people to relax in the evening, or work longer hours and will make it possible for the children to study for next day’s classes. Electricity will also bring electric appliances into people’s homes, modernising their lives.
The project already had an unexpected positive impact on the village. For transportation of the building material the village road had to be widened, means that scooters and motorbikes can access the village now.
This project targets to reach 1000 households in Ha Trung district of Thanh Hoa province with improved biomass stoves before the end of the year. The project will offer two different models: a fixed multi-pot stove and a portable single-pot stove. The project will also create new jobs, especially in stove-building. Training local rural tecnicians in stove-building and in marketing and promotion skills is part of the project.
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