Energy, Fuel Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emission in Food Processing Industry in Big Cities of Vietnam

Abstract

Identifying energy consumption trends is difficult as the food processing industry is very fragmented, products are processed to varying degrees, and production is not always continuous. This study has collated data better to understand energy consumption across different food processing sectors. Based on energy consumption data, GHG emissions are calculated for direct emissions from fuel usage and indirect emissions from the use of grid-supplied electricity. Energy figures show that electricity, LPG, and coal are the main energy sources used in the food industry in the big cities of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Hanoi, and Hai Phong. Patterns of energy sources are different from city to city depending on the composition of subsectors and the availability of local energy resources. GHG emissions from the food industry in HCM are estimated to be 22,014,696 tons of CO2-eq, with 98% of these emissions coming from indirect sources. The figures for Hanoi and Hai Phong are 493,000 and 36,016 tons of CO2-eq, respectively, with 29% and 49% indirect emissions. The most GHG emission-intensive food industry sub-sector in HCMC includes processing and preservation of meat products and processing and preservation of frozen seafood; in Hanoi, it is processing milk and dairy products, and in Hai Phong, it is seafood products processing and preservation and production of beer and malt. The study proposed three energy-saving solutions in food processing plants that can be considered: Optimizing the use of existing equipment in production, Innovating and upgrading equipment, and Investing in low-carbon energy sources.