Vietnamese technology has won the 2009 Energy Globe Awards (EGW)-sponsored by the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) for using rice husks to replace fossil fuels.

The award ceremony will take place in Rwanda on June 3.

The technology, with ceramic kilns fed by rice husks, was put into operation in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap in 2009 by the Centre for the Research and Development of Energy Savings (ENERTEAM) under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The ENERTEAM said the project has provided ‘green brick’ technology for the Mekong Delta, home to thousands of traditional ceramic kilns in threat of being closed for using old technology that seriously pollutes the environment.

The application of this new technology will also help businesses to increase their output, improve the quality of their products and ensure stable employment for their workers.

Producing ceramics is a traditional craft and provides a good income to people in many Mekong Delta provinces.

The project was part of a showcase programme initiated by the Asia-Pacific Forum on Environment and Development (APFED).

In 2006, Vietnam also won an EGW prize for another bio fuel project./.