During the meeting, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Vietnam, Kanat Tumysh, provided an overview of the project applying technology to recycle rice by-products into ferrosilicon alloys and renewable energy.

According to the project, rice husks contain high levels of silica and carbon, making them an ideal raw material for producing ferrosilicon alloys with superior purity and a commercial value 20 to 25% higher than conventional products on the market. This is a new technology, integrating biomass power generation and metallurgy in the same industrial complex, aiming for a production model with virtually zero waste emissions.

The project is expected to collect approximately 1 million tons of rice husk annually in An Giang, Dong Thap, and Can Tho provinces; build 5 to 8 raw material collection centers along with a waterway transportation system. The complex will include a 161 MW power plant, of which about 75 MW will serve the production of ferrosilicon alloy, with the remainder being fed into the grid or used for other industrial projects.

Mr. Kanat Tumysh requested An Giang province's support in surveying the factory construction site, connecting raw material sources, transportation systems, auxiliary material suppliers, and high-quality human resources in the fields of chemistry, metallurgy, and energy. He also stated that initial discussions had taken place with several large rice-producing enterprises to establish a supply chain for the project.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy highly appreciated the proposal for the "Integrated Industrial Complex for the Application of Rice By-product Recycling Technology" project by the Ambassador and his partners. With a total estimated investment of approximately USD 325 million, the project is innovative and has a high scientific and technological content, aiming to process rice husks into value-added products such as ferrosilicon alloys and renewable energy.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of the People's Committee of An Giang province, An Giang is one of Vietnam's key rice-producing provinces, with an annual output of approximately 8.8 million tons, corresponding to a potential byproduct of about 1.75 million tons of rice husk per year.

Currently, rice husks in the province are mainly used as fuel for rice drying ovens, in the production of biochar, organic fertilizers, pellets, and other products. The purchase price at rice mills ranges from about 1 to 1.5 million VND per ton, depending on the time of year, quality, contract duration, and logistics costs.

Vice Chairwoman of the An Giang Provincial People's Committee, Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, emphasized that, in terms of orientation, the project is fundamentally consistent with the policy of developing a circular economy, increasing the value of agricultural by-products, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancing the value chain of the rice industry, which the province is encouraging to develop. She also requested that relevant departments and agencies coordinate with the investor to continue researching and clarifying the feasibility of the technology, economic efficiency, raw material needs, logistics plan, infrastructure, environment, and related legal regulations before proceeding with the next steps.

News by Nhu Ngoc

Translator: Thi Huynh