An aerial view of Dung Quat, the first oil refinery in Vietnam to successfully research and produce special fuel for defense applications. (Photo: petrotimes.vn)
To address this urgent need, the Vietnam National Industry - Energy Group (Petrovietnam) has been tasked with conducting research on the technology to produce special fuels and mastering it. This has made Vietnam one of the few countries that are self-reliant in fuels for national defense and contributed to enhance self-reliance on energy.
For decades, Vietnam's military equipment and vehicles relied on imported fuels to meet technical and safety requirements for training missions and combat readiness, which carries risks of supply interruption in times of need. At one point, Vietnam struggled to secure enough fuels for defense applications.
The Ministry of National Defence has realized this urgent need early on and with its strategic vision, requested Petrovietnam, Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical JSC (BSR), the Department of Petroleum, and the Vietnam - Russia Tropical Center to research on special fuels for military uses.
This allowed Vietnam to make full use of its domestic resources, find alternatives to imports, ensure national energy security, and reduce state budget spending.
Engineers and researchers at the Dung Quat refinery are always on the lookout for scientific innovations. (Photo: petrotimes.vn)

For Petrovietnam, this special task from the Party, the State, and the Ministry of National Defence requires all hands on deck. BSR has worked closely with the defence ministry to assess Dung Quat Refinery's technical capabilities and look into fine-tuning it. Petrovietnam and BSR's top experts had to research and at the same time, ensure that production met 30% of the domestic demand for oil and gas.

On January 27, 2016, Petrovietnam reported to the Prime Minister its findings on producing special fuels for defense applications and concluded that the Dung Quat Refinery is "fully capable of producing Jet A-1K and DO L-62 fuels and meet the defense ministry's requirements."

This result reaffirmed the Party and State's strategic vision and leadership on protecting the Fatherland early and from afar, while ensuring the right balance between economic development and national security and defense.

It has also proved that all scientific and technological challenges can be over overcome with consistent leadership, strong technical and scientific foundation, creativity, and the aspiration to serve the country.

Bui Ngoc Duong, Member of BSR's Board of Directors and BSR CEO Nguyen Viet Thang brief on special fuel production and supplies to General Phan Van Giang, Member of the Politburo and Minister of National Defense. (Photo: petrotimes.vn)

Once dependent on imports, Vietnam is now one of the few countries that has mastered special fuel production. Vietnam can now produce 3 special strategic fuel types for defense application - Jet A-1K, DO L-62, and A80 RON83.

This is both a scientific and technological achievement and the best example of breakthrough thinking, decisiveness, creativity, and aspiration, which Petrovietnam and BSR experts, engineers, and staff members have clearly demonstrated.

The achievement has helped Vietnam realize its aspiration for self-reliance and reaffirm its mastery over a technology that is critically important to Vietnam's defense capability and national security.