Vietnam and Belgium strengthen collaboration on wind-powered water desalination projects

MARD Minister Le Minh Hoan met and spoke with Belgium's medium and small companies during the Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue's and high-ranking delegations' working visit to the Kingdom of Belgium.

He also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Smart Universal Logistics NV on collaboration in the development of wind-powered water desalination technology.

Minister Le Minh Hoan expressed his appreciation for the tight cooperation and Belgium's support to the agricultural sector during the meeting.

Belgian small and medium-sized enterprises have introduced numerous advanced technology solutions and modern management methods over the years, contributing to Vietnam's successful agricultural restructuring toward sustainability and adaptation to climate change, including the use of remote sensing technology for sustainable land use; wind-powered desalination of water; and smart cold storage te.

The Vietnamese minister emphasized that the two nations should continue to boost cooperation and technology and training transfer between their companies, institutions, and schools in the future years.

He anticipated that Belgian businesses would continue to invest in the development of waterborne logistics and cold storage systems in the Mekong Delta, utilizing Belgian technology to connect the region's fresh agricultural and seafood products to Cai Mep port, Belgium's Antwep port, and other major ports worldwide.

The MARD and Smart Universal Logistics Company signed a Memorandum of Understanding on wind-powered water desalination cooperation in developing technology for the South Central Coast and Mekong Delta in the presence of the Chairman of the National Assembly, Minister Le Minh Hoan, Vietnamese and Belgian delegates, and EU representatives.

The agreement was signed in recognition of the success of a wind-powered water desalination model developed in Ninh Thuan by MARD's National Institute of Agricultural Planning and Projection as part of the Vietnam-Belgium strategic cooperation on agriculture, which began in 2020.

The two sides believe that by successfully testing the model, they can effectively address the issue of freshwater shortage in the context of climate change and saltwater intrusion, while also fulfilling the demand for freshwater usage in everyday life and agricultural output.

Additionally, T&T Group and Smart Universal Logistics N.V Company signed a memorandum of understanding on investment collaboration in the Water from Wind project during the signing event. The primary goal is to research and invest in a wind desalination plant in Vietnam, while also surveying the requirements and implementing a wind desalination plant system in regions afflicted by drought and seawater intrusion.

This is one of the initiatives that exemplifies MARD's goal of localizing and scaling up the wind desalination concept in Vietnam.

Additionally, the document signifies T&T Group's involvement in the transfer of sophisticated technology from Belgium to Vietnam in order to apply adaptive technology to climate change, drought, and saltwater intrusion, guaranteeing the project's sustainability.