On 26 August 2026, in Hanoi, the Steering Committee of the “Accelerating energy efficiency in large industries through energy management systems, system optimisation and the promotion and adoption of energy efficiency in small and medium-sized enterprises (IEEP)” project held its fourth meeting.
The meeting aimed to review the Project’s implementation progress in 2026, assess results against the Logical Framework, discuss activities to be further implemented in the remaining period, and consider the 2027 work plan and preparations for the Project’s closing phase.
Participants at the fourth meeting of the IEEP Project Steering Committee.
Opening the meeting, Ms Nguyen Thi Lam Giang, Director General of the Agency for Innovation, Green Transition and Industry Promotion under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Co-Chair of the IEEP Project Steering Committee, highly appreciated the results achieved by the Project. “From the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s perspective, we see that the Project has achieved very positive results. In particular, we highly value the technical training activities for experts, large industrial enterprises, and small and medium-sized enterprises in Viet Nam,” she said.”
Ms Nguyen Thi Lam Giang, Director General of the Agency for Innovation, Green Transition and Industry Promotion under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, delivers opening remarks at the meeting.
Ms Kristina Bünde, Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union to Viet Nam and Co-Chair of the IEEP Project Steering Committee, said that the meeting was an opportunity to review past Project activities and set directions for the following year, which will also be the final year of the Project, ensuring that it remains on track and achieves the planned results. She also emphasized that energy efficiency is one of the European Union’s key priorities, and that the Project represents an important cooperation effort among the European Union, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and UNIDO to promote economical and efficient energy use practices among enterprises.
Ms Kristina Bünde, Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union to Viet Nam and Co-Chair of the IEEP Project Steering Committee, attends the meeting online.
Many Results Achieved and Exceeded
Reporting at the meeting, Ms Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan, IEEP Project Manager, said that in 2026, Project activities continued to be implemented across all three components, with many results meeting or exceeding the planned targets. Activities to strengthen the institutional framework, build capacity, and support enterprises in implementing energy-saving solutions continued to record positive results.
Under Component 1 – Institutional and Policy Framework Strengthening, the Project completed proposed recommendations on technical regulations for energy audits; edited and updated technical guidelines on energy management systems, steam system optimisation, and compressed air system optimisation; and developed new technical guidelines on pump, motor, refrigeration, and cooling system optimisation. The Project also completed the conversion of ISO 50005:2021 into TCVN ISO 50005, while carrying out awareness-raising activities on ISO 50001 and related ISO standards.
Communication and awareness-raising activities also achieved notable results. Project videos reached more than 10,700 people, while newsletters, articles, and leaflets disseminated by email reached nearly 3,800 domestic enterprises and experts, exceeding the set targets. The information exchange network among national experts and industrial enterprises was also maintained and operated effectively.
Under Component 2 – Capacity Building Programme, many training activities met and exceeded their targets. As of the reporting period, expert training programmes had trained and certified 60 national experts on energy management systems and 61 national experts on energy system optimisation. Regarding training indicators for industrial enterprises, the Project trained 624 energy management personnel on energy management systems and 568 people on system optimisation, exceeding the Project’s overall targets by 25% and 14%, respectively.
In addition to 34 national experts trained to become trainers on operational improvement and the application of energy-saving technologies for SMEs, training activities on financial analysis for energy-saving investment projects, ISO 50003, and ISO 50015 for national experts and staff of financial institutions, banks, accreditation bodies, and certification bodies were also completed and exceeded their planned targets.
Under Component 3 – Implementation of Energy Management System and System Optimisation Projects, the Project continued to implement demonstration projects and support industrial enterprises in assessing energy management systems, optimising systems, and carrying out replication projects. A database system for storing results of energy management system and system optimisation projects has also been developed.
Support for SMEs also recorded positive results. As of the reporting period, 30 SMEs had received support for energy audits and implementation of energy-saving projects, exceeding the 2026 target by 20%.
From left: Ms Anastasia Oikonomou, IEEP Project Manager, Delegation of the European Union to Viet Nam; Ms Le Thi Thanh Thao, UNIDO Country Representative in Viet Nam; and Ms Rasha Abdrabu, UNIDO Project Manager.
Participants discuss issues at the meeting
Based on the progress report, members of the Steering Committee provided comments on the possibility of achieving the Project’s objectives and the activities that need to be further implemented during the remaining period. Their comments focused on reviewing the progress of incomplete activities, increasing flexibility in organising awareness-raising activities, and creating more favourable conditions for enterprises to participate. Attention was also given to further detailing the plan for Component 3 to ensure implementation progress and quality.
Focusing on Completing Tasks in 2027
According to the plan, 2027 will be the final year of Project implementation. Activities will focus on completing the remaining work under the Project components, while preparing for the packaging of results and the organisation of a final workshop before the Project closes.
Under Component 1, the Project is expected to finalise technical guidelines on process heat system optimisation, continue awareness-raising activities, disseminate case studies, and maintain the information exchange network. Component 2 will focus on completing the remaining training programmes on energy audits, refrigeration and cooling system optimisation, process heat, and operational improvement and energy-saving technologies for SMEs.
For Component 3, the 2027 plan aims to complete demonstration projects, continue providing technical support to industrial enterprises in replication projects, and support SMEs in implementing energy-saving projects.
In her closing remarks, Ms Rasha Abdrabu, UNIDO Project Manager, acknowledged the results achieved and agreed on the objectives that could be completed in 2026, as well as the activities that need to be carried forward to 2027. She said that UNIDO would continue to review resource plans, analyse the budget, and finalise the implementation plan, with particular attention to activities under Component 3. Plans related to the Project closing workshop, communication activities, and preparations for the handover phase will also continue to be completed and shared with relevant stakeholders.
UNIDO’s representative affirmed that the organisation would continue to work closely with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Delegation of the European Union, and partners during the remaining period of the Project, thereby contributing to the achievement of the set objectives and creating a foundation for the Project’s results and experience to continue being replicated after its completion.
The IEEP Project is funded by the European Union, with the Ministry of Industry and Trade serving as the governing body and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization implementing the Project from 2023 to 2027 under the EU–Viet Nam Sustainable Energy Transition Programme (SETP).
Views: 23
