Lesson 2: From import dependence to technology mastery and production autonomy

From a country completely dependent on imports, Vietnam has become a self-sufficient country in producing three types of strategic special fuels for national defense: Jet A-1K, DO L-62, and A80 RON83.

That journey was written with drops of sweat, intelligence and Vietnamese bravery to help the country become one of the few countries that can be self-sufficient in fuel sources for national defense. From there, it consolidates strategic reserves and enhances the combat readiness of the armed forces in all situations.

Self-reliance to be ready to protect the Fatherland in all situations

For decades, Vietnam's military equipment and vehicles have been mainly operated on imported fuel. This has posed a risk of supply disruption at special times. Former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung once shared that during his tenure as head of the Government, the country had difficulties in ensuring fuel for defense missions. At that time, all sources of supply had to be carefully calculated to prioritize forces on combat readiness missions.

Up to now, Vietnam has gradually mastered the technology and successfully produced special fuels for national defense. The former Prime Minister expressed his joy and pride that Petrovietnam has made an important contribution to helping the country become self-sufficient in supply, enhancing combat readiness and protecting the Fatherland in all situations.

Overview of Dung Quat Refinery - the first place to successfully research and produce special fuel for national defense

The journey from dependence on imported sources to Vietnam's self-sufficiency in special fuels is a long process, full of effort and perseverance, starting almost from zero. In Vietnam, ensuring national defense and security has always been an important and regular task of the entire Party, people and army; it is the Party's consistent viewpoint in the cause of building and protecting the Fatherland through the periods.

In particular, proactive fuel supply for military technical equipment is considered a key factor, contributing to maintaining strategic initiative in all situations. Historically, many types of military technical equipment use technology compatible with fuel standards of Russia and some other traditional partners - countries that have long-term, trustworthy cooperation with Vietnam in the field of technology - defense. Therefore, in the past, most of the special fuel for defense had to be imported to ensure technical requirements and absolute safety for training and combat readiness tasks.

From that urgent requirement, Petrovietnam was assigned the responsibility of researching and gradually mastering the technology of producing special fuels, contributing to strengthening the foundation of self-reliance in defense energy, serving the goal of protecting the Fatherland in all situations.

Vietnam and the Russian Federation have a traditional friendly relationship and multifaceted cooperation in many fields, including energy and technology. However, having to completely import special fuels from abroad also means potential risks of supply disruption in force majeure situations such as political upheaval, international conflicts, natural disasters or global epidemics.

Recent years have shown that the complex developments in the world's geopolitical context have had a certain impact on the energy supply chain, including specific defense products. If there is a disruption in the supply of strategic fuel, the technical assurance, training and combat readiness of the functional forces will be significantly affected.

Dung Quat Oil Refinery's engineers and experts are always active in scientific research and innovation.

Therefore, the research and mastery of technology to produce special fuels for national defense has become an urgent requirement, receiving special attention and direction from the Party, the Government and the Ministry of National Defense. This is not only a scientific and technological goal, but also a concrete content of the Party's guidelines on building a national defense associated with the people's security posture, in which energy plays a key role in ensuring national strength.

As a State-owned economic group holding a pivotal position in ensuring national energy security, Petrovietnam continues to be assigned the responsibility of participating in ensuring national defense energy security, contributing to enhancing potential, consolidating proactiveness and being ready to firmly protect the Fatherland in all situations. This is not only an economic and technical task, but also a particularly important political task, demonstrating the will of self-reliance, the spirit of innovation and creativity and Vietnamese intelligence in realizing the national energy security strategy closely linked with security and defense.

Proud to own the most advanced petrochemical refining technology in the world

Vietnam is one of the few countries in the world that has mastered the technology to produce special fuels. To produce successfully, Petrovietnam and BSR have mobilized almost all of BSR's best staff in many fields, researching day and night, while still ensuring the task of producing more than 30% of the domestic market's gasoline consumption demand.

Dozens of crude oil samples were analyzed, hundreds of simulation runs were run, thousands of pages of documents were studied, and many nights, dozens of people stayed up all night working – all for a single goal: to research and successfully produce special fuel for national defense, contributing to ensuring resources for the task of protecting the Fatherland.

Three years of dedicated research, innovation and testing – that journey has crystallized into a special milestone. On March 25, 2015, BSR solemnly held a ceremony to announce the Decision to grant a license to the special fuel product for national defense produced by Dung Quat Oil Refinery and received a Certificate of Merit from the Minister of National Defense.

Sharing about this event, Comrade Bui Ngoc Duong - Party Secretary, Chairman of BSR Board of Directors emphasized: "We have proven that Vietnamese people can master the world's leading advanced refining and petrochemical technology. Dung Quat Oil Refinery today is not only a production site, but also a symbol of Petrovietnam's intelligence, bravery, aspiration and spirit of serving the Fatherland."

BSR Chairman of the Board of Directors Bui Ngoc Duong and BSR General Director Nguyen Viet Thang reported on the production and supply of defense fuel to General Phan Van Giang - Politburo member, Minister of National Defense.

Special fuels for national defense play a key role in the combat readiness of the armed forces, contributing to ensuring national security and keeping the Fatherland peaceful. With that strategic significance, self-sufficiency in special fuels for national defense has become a particularly important task in the context of the world witnessing many conflicts and complex geopolitical fluctuations.

This is a difficult problem that not many countries can solve. According to statistics, besides military superpowers such as the US, Russia, China and some NATO countries, only about 15 countries in the world have the ability to produce special fuel for defense purposes. Vietnam is proud to be one of the few countries that have achieved this ability.

Specifically, BSR is the second unit outside the territory of the Russian Federation licensed by the Department of Missile Fuel and Combustible Materials under the General Staff of the Material and Technical Support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to produce jet fuel and DO L-62 fuel, used for military technical vehicles and special equipment manufactured in Russia.

The successful production of special fuel for national defense is not only a scientific and technical achievement, but also a vivid demonstration of the spirit of daring to think, daring to do, daring to break through, the creative will and aspiration to serve the Fatherland of experts, officers, engineers and workers of Petrovietnam and BSR. This achievement has realized the aspiration for self-reliance, affirming Vietnam's ability to master technology in a particularly important field, closely linked to national defense and security.

When listening to BSR leaders report on the successful production of special fuel for national defense, Politburo member, General Phan Van Giang - Minister of National Defense highly appreciated the proactive spirit, research, production and supply efforts of BSR team. The General emphasized that BSR's mastery of technology, meeting strict technical standards and timely supplying special fuel to the army has strategic significance, contributing to enhancing national defense potential, reducing import dependence and strengthening Vietnam's initiative in the context of unpredictable changes in the region and the world.

... (To be continued)

Thanh Hieu

Source: https://bsr.com.vn/web/bsr/-/bai-2-tu-phu-thuoc-nhap-khau-den-lam-chu-cong-nghe-tu-chu-san-xuat