Market and product

1. Urgency and Rationale of the Research Cluster

Vietnam’s industrial sector is facing an urgent demand for green transition, greenhouse gas emission reduction, and improved energy-use efficiency. In this context, solid and liquid fuels continue to play an essential role in industrial operations and transportation. However, the direct combustion of these fuels still presents multiple limitations:

• Low mechanical and thermal efficiencies.

• Significant emissions of particulate matter, NOₓ, CO, SO₂, and greenhouse gases.

• A lack of effective domestic solutions for combustion control and fuel saving at the end-use stage, given the diversity of equipment and fuel types.

• Hardware-based interventions (equipment replacement, furnace retrofitting, engine modification, etc.), while capable of improving energy efficiency, require high capital investment, long approval timelines, and depend heavily on technical capacity and operational conditions at each facility.

In response to these urgent requirements for energy saving and emission reduction, the FNT6VN and ECOAL additive research cluster was implemented with the following objectives:

• To master the technology for formulating fuel-saving and combustion-enhancing additives tailored to fuel characteristics and combustion equipment used in Vietnam.

• To improve combustion efficiency, reduce fuel consumption, and cut harmful emissions in applications using liquid fuels (FNT6VN) and solid fuels (ECOAL).

• To support green transition and sustainable development goals in energy-intensive industries such as cement, thermal power, chemicals, metallurgy, and transportation.

2. Research Process

2.1. Research Subjects and Methods

The research focused on the production technology and two next-generation fuel-saving additive products.

The methodology comprised the following steps: formulation design based on analysis of additive–fuel interaction mechanisms and combustion processes; synthesis of active components via organic–inorganic chemical methods or controlled blending; evaluation of physicochemical properties and performance through standard tests (e.g., comparative tests of fuels with and without additives, fuel consumption measurement, emission assessment in simulated combustion chambers); pilot-scale testing on real vehicles or systems; formulation and process optimization; and finally, industrial-scale trials to determine stability, effectiveness, and commercialization potential.

2.2. Scientific and Practical Basis of the Research

FNT6VN is an advanced additive system developed based on multi-mechanism synergistic effects in combustion environments, aiming to optimize liquid-fuel combustion in internal combustion engines and industrial furnaces. Its main mechanisms include:

• Water–fuel microemulsion: Ultra-fine, stably dispersed water induces micro-explosion effects, enhancing fuel atomization and combustion efficiency.

• Directed ionization: Polar compounds form a double electric layer with the same charge as combustion chamber surfaces, preventing soot adhesion and improving heat transfer.

• Radiative resonance: Conjugated π-systems or polar groups absorb and emit infrared radiation, enhancing heat transfer in the combustion zone.

• Activation energy reduction: Certain components facilitate preliminary cleavage of C–H/C–C bonds, stabilizing flame propagation even with low-quality fuels.

• Soot agglomeration inhibition: Surfactants keep soot particles dispersed, limiting deposition and promoting complete burnout.

• Supplementary oxidation reactions: Selected components generate activated free radicals, enhancing complete combustion and reducing CO and unburned hydrocarbons in exhaust gases.

ECOAL is a specialized additive system for solid fuels (coal, biomass, RDF, etc.), designed to enhance combustion reactions by creating active sites in both gas and solid phases. Its key technical features include:

• Increased combustion rate: Combustion catalysts in ECOAL accelerate oxidation reactions in ignition zones, enabling thorough burning even with low-grade fuels.

• Reduced unburned carbon in fly ash: Enhanced oxidation minimizes fuel loss and improves thermal efficiency.

• Improved slag handling: Certain components adjust slag melting temperature, reducing fouling and blockage, and optimizing operation of fluidized-bed and grate furnaces.

• Reduced toxic emissions: More complete combustion lowers CO, soot, and VOCs, and supports NOₓ mitigation via pre-catalytic effects.

• Self-cleaning of systems: ECOAL prevents deposit formation on heat-transfer surfaces and hot gas ducts, maintaining efficiency and reducing maintenance costs.

2.4. Research Results

The research team successfully developed the FNT6VN and ECOAL fuel additive systems—two advanced formulations capable of improving fuel-use efficiency, reducing fuel consumption, and cutting pollutant emissions in industrial and transportation applications. The core compositions and preparation technologies have been granted invention patents in Vietnam and the United States and are protected by exclusive trademarks.

2.4.1. FNT6VN Additive

FNT6VN is a multifunctional advanced additive for liquid fuels, including gasoline/bio-gasoline E5 and E10, diesel/biodiesel B5 and B10, heavy fuel oil (FO), waste-rubber pyrolysis oil, cashew nut shell oil, rubber seed oil, biomass pyrolysis oil (bio-oil), and other alternative fuels.

With an ultra-low blending ratio (1 liter of FNT6VN per 154,000 liters of gasoline, or 59,000 liters of diesel, or 45,000 kg of FO), the additive delivers significant fuel savings:

• Gasoline: 10–12%

• Diesel: 10–15%

• Marine FO: 10–20%

• Boiler FO/DO: 10–25%

The additive also substantially reduces pollutant emissions (soot: 18–20% reduction; CO: ~18% reduction; CO₂: ~10% reduction, primarily due to lower fuel consumption).

FNT6VN offers flexible application thanks to its instantaneous dispersion mechanism during fuel refueling, requiring no system modification or operational adjustment. When added simultaneously with fueling, flow dynamics ensure effective mixing directly at the point of use.

The potential economic benefit of nationwide deployment is estimated at approximately USD 2 billion per year. The additive also contributes to Vietnam’s net-zero emissions target by 2050 (COP26).

Typical performance cases include Tan Thang Cement Plant, where continuous use of FNT6VN for clinker kiln start-up since 2021 has saved approximately VND 3 billion per year; and Hai Phong DAP Plant, where FNT6VN blended with cashew nut shell oil for DAP drying kilns has saved around VND 2 billion per year.

2.4.2. ECOAL Additive

ECOAL is a combustion-support additive for solid fuels such as coal and biomass, particularly effective for low-grade or hard-to-burn fuels. It enhances combustion efficiency, saves coal, reduces toxic gas emissions (CO, NOₓ), lowers unburned fly ash, improves heat transfer, and cleans thermal systems.

ECOAL is not mixed directly with coal; instead, it is diluted with water and injected into the combustion chamber via the air supply system. One liter of ECOAL can treat 150–200 tons of coal.

Key impacts include accelerated combustion and thermal radiation; complete coal burnout, even for low-grade coal; self-cleaning of combustion chambers through same-charge electrostatic effects; reduced slag adhesion and agglomeration (“dinosaur egg” formation); and uninterrupted operation during implementation.

The potential economic benefit of large-scale ECOAL application is estimated at approximately USD 3 billion per year, due to coal savings and reduced ash and emission treatment costs.
At Tan Thang Cement Plant, continuous use of ECOAL since 2021 has reduced coal costs by VND 130–170 billion per year, while lowering CO, NOₓ, and soot emissions, stabilizing operations, and extending refractory lining lifespan.

3. Significance and Impact of the Research

The research, development, and completion of production technologies for the FNT6VN and ECOAL additive systems hold comprehensive significance across scientific–technological, economic–technical, environmental–social, and policy dimensions, particularly as Vietnam advances carbon neutrality and green growth commitments.

• Scientific and technological significance: The research mastered formulation design, core component synthesis, and industrial-scale deployment of next-generation fuel-saving additives. The results contribute indigenous knowledge to the clean energy additive field, approaching international standards with multiple patents granted in Vietnam and the United States and exclusive trademark protection.

• Economic and technical significance: FNT6VN and ECOAL enable 8–15% fuel savings without requiring structural changes to existing systems, thereby reducing operational costs and infrastructure investment. These fully domestic innovations—from fundamental research to applied innovation—demonstrate national technological capability, reduce import dependence, and support auxiliary industry development.

• Environmental and social significance: Improved combustion efficiency, reduced fuel consumption, and lower emissions of CO₂, NOₓ, CO, and soot highlight the additives’ potential in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Commercialization also promotes strategic technologies, creates high value-added jobs, and generates sustainable spillover effects.

• Policy and sectoral orientation: Beyond laboratory-scale results, the technologies have been successfully implemented at multiple industrial facilities, providing a solid practical basis for policymakers to design supportive measures for fuel-saving additive adoption in industry and transportation. The outcomes also support the development of technical standards, safety regulations, and economic–technical norms for domestic additives—critical prerequisites for inclusion in approved material lists, pricing, tendering, and large-scale deployment. The formal interest and planned application by Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical JSC from 2025, together with proven results at Tan Thang Cement Plant and Hai Phong DAP Plant, demonstrate the high feasibility and scalability of these technologies, reinforcing the position and diffusion potential of “Make in Vietnam” fuel-saving additive solutions.