The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Hanwha Group helps tackle river pollution in Vietnam

By Cho Hyee-su

Published : June 6, 2019 - 14:52

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Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group donated two eco-friendly trash skimmer boats to Vietnam, the group announced Thursday.

On the occasion of World Environment Day on Wednesday, Hanwha Group hosted a donation ceremony of trash skimmer boats at Vinh Long in southern Vietnam. Some 80 officials representing Hanwha Group, Vietnam and the Global Green Growth Institute attended the event.

The donated boats are to be used to collect trash floating on the Mekong River, Hanwha explained.


Pictured is a solar-powered trash skimmer boat provided by Hanwha Group. (Hanwha Group) Pictured is a solar-powered trash skimmer boat provided by Hanwha Group. (Hanwha Group)

According to the company, the Mekong River inside the Mekong Delta is suffering from serious pollution due to daily waste as well as agricultural and industrial sewage.

Previously, only a small amount of the waste had been collected by hand, while the rest flowed directly to the sea, causing serious marine pollution.

The boats provided by Hanwha will attempt to amend the situation by collecting up to 280 kilograms of waste per boat per day, the company said.

Equipped with solar panels provided by Hanwha Q Cell, the boats will operate entirely on solar energy. They mark the very first eco-friendly trash skimmer boats that do not leave harmful residue behind.

Since last year, the company has been actively trying to solve pollution in Vietnam, which it considers a key post for global expansion. Besides donating the boats, the company is also running digital campaigns to educate local residents about green energy. 

By Cho Hyee-su (chohyeesu@heraldcorp.com)