TH true MILK champions green production to support net zero goal

“To Net Zero” is the goal for TH true MILK’s enclosed dairy chain. From farm to table is how TH Corp. supports and embraces the Vietnamese government’s spirit of “commitment with action”, specifically in climate change response and sustainable development.

Emissions cut via innovation Net Zero by 2050 was the Vietnamese government’s commitment at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP26. It was re-emphasized at the recent COP27. It is a target that promotes Vietnam’s process toward a sustainable and eco-friendly economy.

“From day one, TH has prioritized our appreciation for Mother Nature as the moral compass for our business. TH has been running environmental protection initiatives with remarkable results, notably in sewage and waste treatment, renewable energy development, and biodiversity protection, while raising public awareness of a “green” lifestyle and consumption.

In line with the government’s Net Zero goal, TH Corp. continues to execute its sustainable developmentstrategy with six fundamentals, namely: health and nutrition, environment, education, human, community, and animal welfare, said Aghydal Mandal, CEO of TH Corp.

The TH Corp. strategy to cut greenhouse gas emissions includes utilizing ideas and creativity in going green, using eco-friendly, state-of-the-art technology at every TH plant, and renewable energy.

TH has set a target of reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions from its farms and factories by an average of 15% per year. At the same time, the total level of direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions per product unit at factories and farms will also be cut by an average of 15% per year.

In 2022, as a result of determined and synchronized solutions, TH farms had a 20% drop in emissions per product unit, better than expected. In 2019 and 2020, TH Milk JSC reported an average 0.168 kg of CO2/liter of milk. In 2022, it hit an all-time low of 0.103 kg CO2 per product unit, remarkably lower than other dairy plants in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

Also in 2022, TH Corp. reduced its gasoline consumption by converting from fossil fuels to biofuel (incinerating leftover splinters from the woodwork industry). Thanks to this, all TH plants witnessed an overall 85% decrease in emissions compared to 2021.

TH farms and factories have converted from traditional light bulbs to LEDs, which has helped to save five million kilowatt-hours of electricity, or 4,000 tons of CO2. This innovation received a consolation prize for energy saving, and the Ministry of Science and Technology’s “Great energy management” prize.

Going green

As a corporation advancing in sustainable development with the goal of zero emissions, TH Corp. is pursuing a green and circular economy model to secure sustainable growth.

Starting with its first fresh milk project, TH has invested in state-of-the-art technology. Since then, TH has used eco-friendly raw materials, and green and renewable energy.

In tandem with businesses looking for renewable energy solutions for progress and utilizing sunny conditions in the north central region, TH carried out a rooftop solar project in June 2020. The project aimed to promote the National Program for efficient power usage from 2019 to 2030. At the end of September 2020, the installation was finished and it was hooked up to the national power grid.

TH is installling more rooftop solar systems at its dairy farms in Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, and Da Lat. The government and the Northern Power Corporation have encouraged this solution to relieve energy shortages in northern Vietnam.

Aghydal Mandal said TH has six solar-powered farms with output providing one-eighth of the corporation’s energy needs (1/5 in the summer.) The solar systems have helped TH save 29,000 kilowatt-hours monthly, with a significant decrease in emissions.

In 2022, TH farms provided 7 million kilowatt-hours to the national grid (almost 10% of the total consumption at TH farms), meaning a cut of 4,500 tons of CO2 annually. Amid current electricity shortages, investing in renewable energy helps to ease the situation, reduce emissions, and reinforce national energy security.

TH Corp. has also developed a biomass electricity project at the NASU Nghe An Sugar Plant, with an estimated output of 30 megawatts in the 2023-2026 period, and it is installing more rooftopsolar systems at its Nghe An woodworking plant and food factories.

TH also applies many ways to optimize electricity, water, and gas consumption to cut costs and reduce emissions. For example, TH has implemented a project to re-use water fromkey equipment. The amount of water recovered accounts for 50-60% of the total amount of steam supplied for production, thus saving FO oil used by the plant. This has cut the amount of electricity, oi land water used significantly compared to 2021.

Toward 2026, projects include using biogas to treat livestock manure and produce energy to heat water at TH plants. Besides, for new equipment, TH will select modern and cutting-edge systems that consume less power and use eco-friendly materials.