Saigon Newport Corporation joins hands to develop waste management projects from ships

Over the last two decades, global maritime traffic has grown steadily. Therefore, governments, non-governmental organizations and the maritime industry are increasingly interested in environmental issues. Illegal dumping of waste and oil in coastal areas and oceans is becoming an emerging problem. Oily waste, garbage, plastic, sewage and hazardous waste will have many negative impacts on the marine environment, fisheries and tourism, increasing the amount of waste in the oceans.

For two years (2020- 2022), the Ministry of Transport and the Vietnam Maritime Administration have been cooperating with the project "Rethinking Plastics," co-sponsored by the European Union and German government, to reduce the status of illegal ship discharges into the sea and improve waste treatment in Vietnam's seaports.

In Vietnam, ships can transfer waste to receiving facilities in several ports. However, many ports face many challenges in providing efficient private waste collection services. Many Vietnamese seaports are not equipped with facilities and systems for receiving and treating ship waste. Most seaport enterprises have signed a contract with an external waste collection and treatment unit. Although the government has developed regulations to encourage investment, construction of waste receiving facilities at ports (eg Circular 41/2017/TT-BGTVT of the Ministry of Transport, Law on Protection Environment 2020).

If it is impossible to transfer waste to port receiving facilities or other collection systems, ships calling Vietnamese ports will illegally dump waste into the sea.
 

Mr. Nguyen Phuong Nam - Deputy General Director of SNP

During the implementation process at Tan Cang - Cat Lai terminal, the project made many recommendations based on an assessment of the current situation at the port, a review of legal documents, and a discussion of current best practices. used in European ports. The project has designed, built and piloted an online waste declaration system, proposed to build a more encouraging toll collection system and standardize control procedures (Quality Management Handbook). ship waste - SWMM) as agreed by stakeholders, such as Vinamarine, port authorities, and waste management units.

Nguyen Hoang, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Maritime Administration, said: “The online waste declaration system has been piloted at the HCMC Maritime Administration and has also been described in the SWMM to provide information. For stakeholders, the port can provide efficient waste collection and treatment services for ships in the future and reduce administrative procedures for shipping agents.”
Mr. Rui Ludivino, First Counselor, Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam, assessed: “Applying a toll collection system will promote ships to transfer waste to receiving facilities at ports. This system not only benefits the shipping industry, but also brings financial and administrative benefits to ports and stakeholders, including waste collectors and processors. This will not only help the port fully comply with international conventions and national regulations, but also set an example for other ports in the South China Sea region. We are pleased to support this activity for Vietnam on the basis of sharing the experience and approach of European seaports.”
According to Jens Peter, lead ship waste management expert of the “Rethinking Plastics” project: “It is important that waste collected from ships is properly managed on land and in accordance with the municipal waste management system, and comply with other national regulations regarding treatment through to final disposal. All steps from collection to final disposal and disposal must be managed efficiently. In Europe, for example, the full or partial adoption of such an indirect waste fee scheme has contributed to a significant increase in the transfer of waste from ships to EU port receiving facilities and reduced illegal discharge of waste into the sea. To be sure, the wider adoption of indirect fees will have a positive environmental impact in Southeast Asia. We have actively communicated and worked over the past two years, and will distribute the results of the pilot project to other ports in Vietnam and contribute to strengthening regional cooperation on ship waste management. "
 

Administration of Ho Chi Minh City and domestic and international maritime experts.

At the Workshop, the participants highly appreciated the participation of Tan Cang - Cat Lai terminal and representatives of SNP with valuable information and contributions to make phase 1 of the project successful. with many practical solutions. Even at the seminar, the representative of SNP also shared many experiences and contributed ideas on measures to manage waste from ships at the regional level, the collection of indirect fees for waste treatment to ensure the satisfaction of customers. peace when ships call at many ports in the same area....SNP also expressed its commitment to supporting projects to green the seaports, reduce carbon dioxide and other pollutants inside and outside the port area, as well as in the maritime sector, contributing to the implementation of the Vietnamese government's commitments to environmental protection and combating climate change at COP 26.