Japanese and Vietnamese scientists will join hands for a five-year research project, which has an important significance in saving and using clean energy.

The “Sustainable Integration of Local Agriculture and Biomass Industries” project will study and develop technologies necessary for the production of bio-fuel from biomass in connection with environmental issues, Associate Prof. Dr. Phan Dinh Tuan, Deputy Head of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technologies (HCMUT) said in an interview with the Saigon Giai phong daily issued on Oct. 23.

This is a research cooperation project between Japanese and Vietnamese universities and institutes to address global issues, he said, adding that it is planned to be carried from now to 2014. The Japanese side will provide 5 million USD to project.

According to the HCMUT Deputy Head, the project will start with testing technology in the laboratory, and then implementing it at experimental process workshops.

The workshops will pilot the production of bio-fuel from straw, which is expected to lay the groundwork for production on a larger scale, he said. The model is expected to be carried out in localities in Vietnam, Japan and countries in the region and the world, he added.

Research at the laboratory is already underway, he said, adding that an experimental process laboratory is expected to be constructed and run a trial in 2010. Construction of the workshop, instalment of equipment and pilot production of fuel are expected to be done in 2012, Tuan said.

The project was recently signed by the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and the Tokyo University of Japan./.