Donated trash boats ply Mekong

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Donated trash boats ply Mekong

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A solar-powered boat donated by Hanwha will collect garbage on Vietnam’s Mekong River. [HANWHA GROUP]

Hanwha Group has donated two solar-powered garbage-gathering boats to ply the Mekong River in Vietnam.

A ceremony celebrating the gift was held Wednesday at Vinh Long, which is located on the river about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Ho Chi Minh City. The move is part of Hanwha’s efforts to raise its profile in Vietnam, where many of its affiliates are expanding their businesses.

The Mekong is the main water source for over 70 million people, but it is also one of the world’s 10 most polluted rivers.

Vinh Long’s waters are normally cleaned by laborers who manually pull garbage from the shoreline, as the city doesn’t have boats to do the job. This method has left much of the waste to flow down the river.

The donated boats are equipped with conveyor belts to collect 280 kilograms of floating garbage per day. They will work six to seven hours each day. Hanwha explained that the two boats combined can gather 200 to 220 tons of garbage per year.

The boats are powered by eco-friendly energy sources.

Hanwha Q Cells solar panels are utilized, so their operation will not add to the pollution. Waste-collecting vessels often run on diesel.

“As the world’s top solar energy provider, Hanwha is contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals through sustainable environment initiatives that utilize clean energy,” said Choi Sun-mok, president and head of the Hanwha Communications Committee.

“In Vietnam, which is an important strategic market for Hanwha, we will set up an infrastructure that will change the way sustainable environment initiatives are undertaken in a fundamental and environmentally friendly manner.”

Nguyen Thi Thien Phuong, director general of the department of science, technology and international relations at the Vietnam Environment Administration, said, “I’m pleased that South Korea and Vietnam can work together to solve climate change and environmental issues. I’m hoping that this campaign will be successful and spread throughout the whole of Vietnam.”

Affiliates active in Vietnam include Hanwha Life Insurance, Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Energy.

Hanwha has been conducting a number of environmental campaigns internationally.


BY SONG KYOUNG-SON [song.kyoungson@joongang.co.kr]
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