China Laos Joint Construction Of Low-Carbon Demonstration Zone

Starting from Vientiane, the capital of Laos, it takes about 30 minutes to drive to the Saiseta Comprehensive Development Zone. In the park, tropical plants are lush and green, and the clean and smooth roads on both sides are particularly eye-catching with bright streetlights.

Not long ago, 40 sets of photovoltaic smart street lights donated by China were installed and debugged in the park. According to the plan, a total of 3000 sets of solar street lights will be installed in the development zone. These lighting street lights are energy-saving and environmentally friendly, making the environment in the park better. On weekends, we often take our children to explore and teach them about solar power generation, allowing them to experience modern technology and environmental protection, "said Xitichai, a resident near the park.

The Saiseta Low Carbon Demonstration Zone is a South South cooperation project launched by the governments of China and Laos based on the Saiseta Comprehensive Development Zone to address climate change. It is one of China's "10 Low Carbon Demonstration Zones" cooperation projects in developing countries. Recently, the unveiling ceremony of the Wanxiang Saiseta Low Carbon Demonstration Zone and the delivery ceremony of the new energy vehicle project for China Laos South Cooperation on Climate Change was held via video, marking a new stage in the construction of the low-carbon demonstration zone and promoting China Laos cooperation on climate change to a new level. According to relevant agreements, China has donated new energy buses, new energy trucks and other materials to the development zone in batches. Statistics show that after the first batch of new energy vehicles are put into use, they can reduce local carbon emissions by about 1243 tons per year, equivalent to planting over 100000 trees.

We have mastered the daily use, maintenance, and troubleshooting techniques of new energy vehicles, and hope to contribute our efforts to achieving low-carbon transportation in the demonstration zone, "said Lao employee Xiang Kan. At the beginning of this year, 23 park staff, including Xiang Kan, participated in new energy vehicle training. The Saiseta Low Carbon Demonstration Zone project is a model for Laos and China to jointly address climate change. We hope to accumulate valuable experience in low-carbon development in Saiseta and promote it to other regions, "said Benkan, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Laos.

In a corner of the comprehensive development zone, dozens of huge oil storage tanks are neatly arranged. They belong to the only refining enterprise in Laos - Laos Petrochemical Company Limited (referred to as "Lao Petrochemical"). At the end of 2020, the first phase of the petrochemical project with an annual production capacity of 3 million tons in Laos was officially put into operation. This project is jointly invested and constructed by Chinese and Lao enterprises, which not only changes the current situation of Laos relying entirely on imported refined oil products, but also adopts advanced low-carbon production technology, greatly reducing carbon emissions. Wang Dengtao, Deputy General Manager of Laos Petrochemical, introduced that the factory has invested in the construction of a wastewater treatment plant and rainwater collection facilities, achieving the recycling of wastewater after purification treatment. In terms of exhaust emissions, the factory has built a sulfur recovery device that can collect the sulfur components in the exhaust gas and process them to produce sulfur, which can be sold as a product and fully achieve gas emission standards.

"Saytha Low Carbon Demonstration Zone is a very good project, which has made significant contributions to the green economic development of Laos and brought tangible benefits to the Lao people. It is hoped that Laos and China will continue to strengthen cooperation in low carbon, further expand the impact of low carbon projects in Lao society, and benefit more people." Song Ma, Vice President of the Lao National Assembly, said that the Lao government hopes to continue to deepen strategic docking and expand practical cooperation with China in the future, jointly promote the construction of low carbon demonstration zones, and provide experience and reference for the low-carbon development of comprehensive development zones in countries along the "the Belt and Road".