Bai Bang
Encyclopedia
Bãi Bằng is an industrial area northwest of Vietnamese
capital Hanoi
, home to the large paper mill of the same name, completed in 1996.
and Vietnam
in 1969. The idea was to build a paper mill
in North Vietnam
, but a multitude of problems in the war-torn country caused the project to take until 1996 before reaching the projected capacity. The projected cost was 770 million Swedish kronor
, but the final cost was 2.8 billion Swedish kronor.
Sweden also launched a vocational school to provide the Bai Bang project with Vietnamese personnel with the right skills and competence.
Construction was evaluated by the Chr. Michelsen Institute
, an independent, non-profit research foundation based in Norway
. At present, the paper mill is one of the more successful in the country.
The paper today is made from bamboo, eucalyptus, and acacia.
Around 2,000 people work at the mill. This investment has contributed to a high standard of living in society around Bai Bang. The village has grown into a small town with about 20,000 inhabitants. Gymnasiums and schools have been built.
100 km northwest of Bai Bang is Ham Yen, which is the center of the forest part in the project.
Many Swedes who worked and lived there are going back there now as tourists and there is currently also a Swedish travel agency TravelBase who arrange special tours to Bai Bang Paper.
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
capital Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, home to the large paper mill of the same name, completed in 1996.
Controversial development project
The construction of the papermill was a controversial project that began as a cooperation between SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
in 1969. The idea was to build a paper mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
in North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
, but a multitude of problems in the war-torn country caused the project to take until 1996 before reaching the projected capacity. The projected cost was 770 million Swedish kronor
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
, but the final cost was 2.8 billion Swedish kronor.
Sweden also launched a vocational school to provide the Bai Bang project with Vietnamese personnel with the right skills and competence.
Construction was evaluated by the Chr. Michelsen Institute
Chr. Michelsen Institute
The Chr. Michelsen Institute was founded in 1930, and is currently the largest centre for development research in Scandinavia. CMI is an independent, non-profit research foundation for policy-oriented and applied development research. Headed by the director Ottar Mæstad, it employs 40 social...
, an independent, non-profit research foundation based in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. At present, the paper mill is one of the more successful in the country.
Production and importance
Now the machines in the paper mill are operating at maximum. Bai Bang is producing about 40 percent of all paper in Vietnam and is one of the largest manufacturers of toilet paper in the country. In 2008 they produced 110,000 tons of paper, twice as much as planned (55,000 tons).The paper today is made from bamboo, eucalyptus, and acacia.
Around 2,000 people work at the mill. This investment has contributed to a high standard of living in society around Bai Bang. The village has grown into a small town with about 20,000 inhabitants. Gymnasiums and schools have been built.
100 km northwest of Bai Bang is Ham Yen, which is the center of the forest part in the project.
Many Swedes who worked and lived there are going back there now as tourists and there is currently also a Swedish travel agency TravelBase who arrange special tours to Bai Bang Paper.