A greener future with BlueScope

For over two decades of operations in Vietnam, BlueScope have changed the face of the construction industry with its innovative and environmental friendly list of products

Green solutions

It has become commonplace for investors to build their new green projects with sustainability, beauty and effectiveness in mind.

According to NS BlueScope Vietnam, green buildings are designed to save on energy and water, resulting in a significant decrease in operation cost. On average, a green building saves 20 per cent of electricity and 40 per cent of clean water compared to a conventional building. In the long run, a green building will decrease the risk in operational cost as the price of electricity and water in Vietnam both are likely to rise.

In addition, a green building also brings an investor a number of intangible benefits, including the safeguarding of workers’ health, so workers will have higher productivity and they will likely remain with the company longer.

Currently, green building remains a new concept in Vietnam and particularly to companies in the textiles, garment and footwear sectors.

However, Vo Minh Nhut, country president of NS BlueScope Vietnam, said that over the past more than 20 years in Vietnam, the firm had been pursuing a set green building mindset  featured via its special green steel products.

“Green building is necessary for our customers so we want more investors to know what the benefits of green building are, especially in the context of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and many free trade agreements (FTAs) that Vietnam has and will ink,” Nhut said.

NS BlueScope has conducted studies and applied new technology to make steel in a sustainable manner. Over the past more than 20 years, BlueScope has been renowned for improving steel product quality through its new-generation Clean Colorbond® steel products. This product alone has helped the company go from strength-to-strength in Vietnam’s construction industry.

Available in various colours, the Clean Colorbond® steel is used for making roofs and partitions. It is guaranteed for high durability while ensuring a certain style for construction works.

In Vietnam, the Clean Colorbond® steel has, for many years, been used

effectively by big firms, such as auto maker Truong Hai Automobile Corporation in the south-central province of Quang Nam. The Clean Colorbond® steel has also been used for construction works worldwide, such as the Beijing Airport and the Changsha the Long Sports Centre of China.

“We have been using BlueScope products in our factories since we were established. The weather in the central region of Vietnam is quite severe, storms are common but BlueScope products are perfectly suited to these conditions,” said a representative from Truong Hai. “Colorbond® is perfect because of its excellent durability and high quality resin. Over many years, the colours remain unchanged and have withstood the severe weather conditions of the region.”

With Vietnam’s participation in the AEC and many new FTAs, many Japanese firms have come to Vietnam to do business. They also use NS BlueScope’s Clean Colorbond® Thermatech® steel products for their building projects.

Using Thermatech® heat reflection technology, Clean Colorbond® is a favoured roofing material in most green buildings in Vietnam, for several reasons. First and foremost, this is a high-quality product that has excellent performance during its long life. This feature is important because users can save up to 15-20 per cent of energy bills thanks to its reflective material, while performance is maintained during its long life cycle. Second, this kind of roofing helps reduce the heat island effect, which is an increasing issue in cities. By using special painting technology, Clean Colorbond® helps increase the solar reflectance index, or SRI, and therefore reduces the urban heat island effect considerably. If a light-coloured Clean Colorbond® is used in a green building it can help it attain the Green Building Leadership (LEED) certificate.

Awarded by the US Green Building Council, LEED is an effective tool for assessing buildings in terms of environmental standards.

Attaining a LEED certificate means the building is recognised as having been designed and constructed according to strict standards on energy efficiency, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, water drainage, and improved environmental quality.

This is much more than merely a token international certificate, it is a globally recognised sign of eco-development.

Co-operation opportunities

NS BlueScope Vietnam’s country president Vo Minh Nhut said that with non-tariff barriers and import tariffs being removed under the AEC, and FTAs, NS BlueScopeVietnam would have more opportunities in co-operating with firms across the country. “We want to further cement our operations with all partners in order to build a greener Vietnam and a better future for our children,” Nhut said.

Over more than two decades in Vietnam, NS BlueScope’s products, such as Colorbond®, Zincalume®, BlueScope Zacs®, and Lysaght® have won the confidence of firms all over the country, meeting all stringent international standards while also being environmental friendly.

“We will continue to enhance the value of construction work in Vietnam via our continued improvement of product quality, sales, and post-sales services,” Nhut said. “NS BlueScope’s sustainability values are demonstrated in its contributions to Vietnam’s socio-economic development, obedience of the law, enhancement of business morality, and creation of more added value in business.”