Activated carbon production, an open direction for eucalyptus trees

(QBĐT) - Once upon a time, eucalyptus trees were planted on a large area in Quang Binh. When acacia and cajuput trees "reigned", the area of ​​eucalyptus trees gradually narrowed. Eucalyptus wood is only used for scaffolding in construction or ground into wood chips. However, Japanese technology to produce activated carbon (THT) or white charcoal from eucalyptus wood imported to Quang Binh has created a new direction for this tree.

The Pioneers

THT production technology is transferred from Japan and Korea with very strict standards to create a "perfect" fuel product, friendly to the environment. THT products ensure standards on humidity, ash content, heat, sulfur... deodorizing, removing toxic gases, absorbing radioactive substances, cleaning the environment, so it is used in the clean water treatment industry; deodorizing in refrigerators, kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, bedrooms... In addition, with the characteristics of being smokeless and odorless, THT is also used for cooking food or heating. The best raw material for THT production is eucalyptus wood.

In Quang Binh, about 10 years ago, the technology of producing THT from eucalyptus wood was successfully applied. THT products are mainly exported to the Japanese and Korean markets, a small amount is consumed in the southern provinces.

The first person to successfully produce THT from eucalyptus wood was Mr. Tran Quang Huy in Truong Nam village, Truong Xuan commune (Quang Ninh) with the brand name "Truong Nam Binchotan Charcoal". Then came Mr. Nguyen Trong Duc, Ha Nhat Phong in Ham Ninh commune; Tran Van Quan, Ngo Van Lam in Van Ninh commune (Quang Ninh). From being hired workers at the facilities of Japanese and Korean bosses, Mr. Quan, Lam, Duc, and Phong gradually accumulated technology and experience in producing THT and then discussed with each other and decided to contribute capital to "go out on their own".

Put the eucalyptus wood into the kiln.

According to Mr. Nguyen Trong Duc, currently in Van Ninh commune there are 3 THT production facilities from eucalyptus wood, in which the facility that they jointly invested in has a scale of 30 furnaces. Each furnace has a capacity of about 9-10 tons of raw materials, built with bricks and clay that can withstand temperatures from 800-1,000 degrees Celsius. After the heating period, the product is baked for 10 days, then taken out of the furnace, cooled anaerobically, classified and packaged.

The characteristic of finished THT products is that they retain the original shape of the raw material as before being fired. The fuel used to fire THT also uses the remaining excess from eucalyptus wood. Every 10 tons of input materials will produce about 600kg of finished THT; each kg of grade 1 THT exported to Japan and Korea costs 28,000 VND.

“One of the outstanding advantages of the THT production process is that it is completely manual, very environmentally friendly, and does not cause pollution. With the current large eucalyptus area and demand from the Japanese and Korean markets, THT exports all its production; the potential for expanding production scale is very promising, creating an open direction for eucalyptus wood, creating jobs for local unskilled workers,” Mr. Tran Van Quan shared.

More jobs for rural workers

During the THT production process, the production facility of Nguyen Trong Duc, Ha Nhat Phong, Tran Van Quan, Ngo Van Lam in Van Ninh commune creates stable jobs for 30 rural workers in Van Ninh, An Ninh, Hoa Thuy, Ngan Thuy communes... On average, each day they work 8 hours, with a labor wage of 270,000-300,000 VND. In response to the "thirsty" demand for THT from the Japanese, Korean and some southern provinces, in 2025, the group decided to expand production by investing in an additional facility in Quang Hop commune (Quang Trach).

Activated carbon kiln from eucalyptus wood using Japanese technology.

“When surveying the raw material area, we found that the communes of Quang Hop, Quang Kim, and Quang Chau of Quang Trach district have a large area of ​​eucalyptus, up to thousands of hectares. Therefore, it is reasonable to locate the production facility in Quang Hop commune. When building the production facility, we comply with legal procedures; commit to the local government and people about environmental protection,” said Mr. Nguyen Trong Duc.

Mr. Le Huy Hieu, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Hop Commune, said: "The whole commune has an area of ​​over 150 hectares of eucalyptus. In Quang Chau and Quang Kim communes, there are also many eucalyptus forests. If the THT production facility strictly ensures environmental protection, the People's Committee of the commune will create favorable conditions for investors to expand production, creating more jobs for the people."

The THT production facility in Quang Hop commune initially had a scale of 12 kilns, with an investment of over 2 billion VND. Currently, 4 THT kilns have been put into operation, creating jobs for 25 workers. Mr. Truong Xuan Dao, Head of Hop Ha village, Quang Hop commune shared: “When we learned that the THT production facility from eucalyptus wood was located in the village, the people were very happy because there was more work. However, we were very worried about the environmental and noise issues. During the trial operation of 4 kilns, seeing that the production process was guaranteed, the people were reassured.”

Ms. Pham Thi Hoai, a worker at the THT production facility, said: “Taking advantage of the off-season, I applied for a job. The job is to unload eucalyptus wood from the gathering place to the kiln for burning, which is not as tiring as harvesting and peeling acacia and cajuput bark. The first month, the facility paid me 5 million VND.” Like Ms. Pham Thi Hoai, Ms. Pham Thi Quyen, who has only been working for about 20 days, also received 3.5 million VND. “The facility is right near my house, so it is convenient, I can take care of my housework and earn extra income. I hope that the facility will “do well” so that our people can have stable jobs,” Ms. Pham Thi Quyen excitedly shared.

Dragon Fruit

Source: https://www.baoquangbinh.vn/kinh-te/202503/san-xuat-than-hoat-tinh-huong-mo-cho-cay-go-bach-dan-2225112/