After 47 years of establishment and development, Binh Duong Water – Environment Joint Stock Company (Biwase) has become a vital pillar in the province’s investment attraction policy. With a synchronously and modernly developed infrastructure for clean water supply, domestic waste treatment and industrial waste management, the company not only aims for profit, but also consistently fulfills its mission to protect and clean the environment by effectively managing waste generated from both production and daily activities.
Providing clean water to over 90% of households
Nguyen Van Thien, CEO of Biwase recalled the company’s 47-year journey full of efforts to overcome numerous difficulties and challenges. Initially operating with scattered groundwater pumping stations, Biwase realized that groundwater sources could not meet residential and industrial demands. In 1994, the company abandoned small-scale decentralized systems in favor of a centralized surface water treatment plant with an initial capacity of 7,500m³/day. In 1997, Biwase completed the Thu Dau Mot Water Plant with a capacity of 15,000m³/day and constructed a 12km D400 pipeline to supply water to the Vietnam – Singapore Industrial Park I (VSIP I) in Thuan An city. This was a significant turning point that reshaped the perception of water supply services in both domestic and industrial sectors in the province.
Biwase has increased its water supply capacity more than 100 times over the past 30 years, from 7,500m³/day to 760,000m³/day. The company’s water plants currently serve approximately 2.6 million residents across the province. Biwase now has around 350,000 customers, including nearly 7,000 corporate clients, making a substantial contribution to the local socio-economic development. By 2025, Biwase aims at increasing its capacity to 979,000m³/day and reduce the company’s water loss rate to 4.8% or less.
Through innovative thinking and methods, Biwase has earned the trust of provincial leaders over time and contributed to the local economic and social growth. To date, Biwase’s clean water supply network has reached over 90% of households across the province. The company has successfully addressed the issue of clean water shortages during the dry season in several remote and rural areas such as Phu Giao and Dau Tieng districts.
Efforts to bring water to remote regions and build a closed-loop domestic waste collection and treatment system with advanced technology have reflected the mission entrusted by provincial leaders to Biwase. The multiplied value lies in the joy and happiness of people in distant areas having access to clean water — a core value that aligns with Biwase’s business philosophy of serving the community.
Investing in advanced technologies for thorough waste treatment
In recent years, Biwase Environmental Technology and Science Company Limited (Biwase ETS), a subsidiary of Biwase, has achieved significant milestones, including constructing leachate collection ponds with a total capacity of 100,000m³. These help in efficiently treating leachate from landfills. The company has also invested in two leachate treatment plants with a total capacity of 960m³/day to treat leachate effectively. Treated water is then reused for street washing, vehicle cleaning and various production activities, contributing to making water conservation and minimizing environmental impacts.
A milestone achievement: In 2011, Biwase began researching the treatment of ash and slag from industrial waste incinerators to produce interlocking bricks, resulting in the creation of the “Con Voi Binh Duong” brick product. In 2024, Biwase marked another significant milestone by inaugurating a waste-to-energy incineration plant with a capacity of 5MW. This raised the company's total capacity for waste sorting and recycling to 2,520 tons per day. All organic matters in household waste were now separated for the production of organic fertilizer used in agriculture. Notably, the entire facility was designed, constructed, installed and operated by Biwase’s own team of engineers and technicians, affirming the company’s technological self-reliance and expertise in this field. Currently, Biwase operates four wastewater treatment plants with a combined capacity of nearly 90,000 cubic meters per day, each equipped with a fully independent collection system.
Recently, the Dutch government has agreed to provide Biwase with concessional loans of approximately US$ 65 million to expand the second phase of the drainage and domestic wastewater treatment systems in Di An city, Thuan An city and Tan Uyen city. Thanks to the efficient use of international loans for environmental protection projects, Biwase has continuously received direct loans from international donors without government guarantees. As of now, Biwase’s market capitalization is estimated at around US$500 million. The company has been recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the Top 50 most effective listed companies for five consecutive years and included in Vietnam’s Top 500 Most Valuable Enterprises.
According to Biwase's leaders, human resources remain the central focus of the company’s development strategy. The emphasis on attracting and nurturing high-quality talents has allowed Biwase to optimize operational efficiency. Over the years, Biwase has steadily advanced towards sustainable development by applying modern technologies in waste treatment and recycling, significantly reducing landfill waste. Waste is recycled into construction materials, organic fertilizer and renewable energy, contributing to an environmentally friendly circular economy.
Biwase is also active in social programs, promoting environmental awareness through educational activities, encouraging waste classification at source and advocating for the use of recycled products. The company contributes to the development of local infrastructure by participating in upgrading many rural roads and meaningful community programs. With the motto of “For Community Health, For Sustainable Environment”, Biwase is committed to building a green future where everyone can live safely and prosperously, affirming that environmental protection is the company’s core value.
Biwase currently operates in three main sectors: clean water production and supply; waste treatment and wastewater collection and treatment. In Binh Duong, Biwase manages and operates nine water plants with a total distribution network length of 6,969km, one 100-hectare integrated waste treatment complex and four wastewater treatment plants. Additionally, Biwase is involved in managing and operating 17 water plants in other provinces and cities, including Ho Chi Minh city, Dong Nai, Binh Phuoc, Long An, Can Tho, Vinh Long and Quang Binh.
Reported by Minh Duy-Translated by Kim Tin
