On October 16, 2023, the Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex / ticker symbol: PLX) organised Petrolimex Technovation Day 2023 in Hai Phong City.

Secretary of Petrolimex Party – Chairman – Head of Petrolimex Digital Transformation Steering Committee Pham Van Thanh and Deputy Secretary of Petrolimex Party – Board of Management member – Director General – Head of Petrolimex Digital Transformation Implementation Committee Dao Nam Hai presided over the event which witnessed the direct attendance of 300 delegates and nearly 1,000 remote delegates via video calls from 70 locations across the country, representing  the Group leadership, key leaders and technical and technological staff of petroleum enterprises, Corporations, and specialised companies in Petrolimex eco-system.

The event was held in one day with various in-depth contents and different formats, highlighting “innovation and creativity” with the expectation of exploring and promoting fresh ideas, and spreading the spirit of innovation and creativity throughout the Petrolimex system. 

Considered a large-scale and milestone event of Petrolimex in 2023, the Innovation Day demonstrates Petrolimex’s determination to realise its goals and strategic directions for 2025 as well as its visions for 2030, amidst the backdrop of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the strong global energy transition. Particularly, this is the first specialised conference in the technical and technological fields, which is connected and oriented towards the business, finance, accounting and management fields.

The conference is also an opportunity for senior leaders of the whole Group to review the process of investment in the technical and technological development in the 2017-2022 period; Update units in the whole system with new technological advancements and energy transition trends; Share new messages and orientations of the Group in innovation, investment in advanced technical and technological applications to enhance labour productivity, safety levels, and production and business efficiency; and Launch an emulation programme to promote innovation and creativity throughout the whole system.

Innovation is an essential trend, an important driving force to promote strong and sustainable development of businesses in the current era. Especially, in the context of vigorous digital transformation and non-distant energy transition, Petrolimex needs to strengthen innovation to create new products and services, meeting market demands and enhancing operational efficiency.

Delivering directive remarks at the event, Secretary of Petrolimex Party - Chairman – Head of Petrolimex Digital Transformation Steering Committee Pham Van Thanh highly appreciated and acknowledged the efforts of the Group’s Board of Directors, and the staff of the technical and technological fields in organising that important conference. He reiterated the necessity for the conference participants to work together to analyse, evaluate, summarise and review the process of investing in technical and technological development, implementing orientations and planning for investment in the Group’s material and technical infrastructure in the 2017-2022 period, and focus on answering the following questions: Where is Petrolimex standing in the current technology trends? Which new energy business transition strategy can replace Petrolimex’s core business? In the next 5-10 years, Petrolimex plans to establish a clear roadmap and take steps towards achieving its strategic goals by 2025, with a vision to 2035 to become “a leading energy group in Vietnam, specialising in green, clean, high-quality, and environmentally-friendly fuel products on the basis of the Industry 4.0 technology and comprehensive technological transformation”.

The results of the past phase are the foundation which, combining with Petrolimex’s vision and strategy for the coming period, sets two major tasks for the upcoming phase as follows:

First, it is necessary to further disseminate the Group’s strategic goals by 2025, with a vision to 2035 to become “a leading energy group in Vietnam, specialising in green, clean, high-quality, and environmentally-friendly fuel products on the basis of the Industry 4.0 technology and comprehensive technological transformation”.

Second, it is vital to maintain, strengthen, renew, modernise and advance the advantages of traditional petroleum business, and the system of technical infrastructure including tanks, warehouses, pipelines, petrol stations, and transportation vehicles, and so on. Concurrently Petrolimex will adapt, transition, and successfully shift towards the trend of green energy business, which will become prominent in the next 5 - 10 years and have a strong presence in Vietnam within the next 10 - 15 years. Thus, by then, what will Petrolimex do to gradually replace traditional petroleum products? Will they be biofuel, e-fuel, EV or Hydrogen, Ammonia? How will the Group shift its business in line with the energy transition trend? At the conference, the organisers displayed Penergy logos in many places and corners, regarding it as a keyword to encourage participants to think and contribute to Petrolimex’s Energy Transition Strategy by 2030, with a vision until 2050, which aligns with Vietnam’s commitment at COP26 to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

In order to realise the strategic goals and visions as well as address existing shortcomings and limitations as mentioned above, and gradually finding answers to major questions facing the whole Petrolimex system, all the Group leaders, staff and employees stay determined to successfully fulfill the 10 key following tasks:

First,To focus on a strong and comprehensive digital transformation at the Group’s 2,700 petrol stations, applying advanced and smart technology to protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions and ensure fire prevention and control, including: (1) Be determined to successfully implement automatic tank level gauge at petrol stations; (2) Issue electronic invoices for each transaction; (3) Successfully pilot and widely apply various cashless payment methods based on advanced technologies such as RFID, smart cameras, static QR codes, and dynamic QR codes besides the already deployed POS digital payment method; (4) Develop and go live the Petrolimex App throughout the whole system to create breakthroughs in order to enhance labour productivity, exceptional experiences for customers, increase effectiveness and efficiency and strengthen risk management.”

Second, To implement complete automation at the system of tanks and warehouses to ensure they operate in a safe, green, clean and smart manner, including: (1) Successful implementation of automation, automatic tank level gauge, and solutions to ensure security, environmental safety and fire prevention and control for warehouses and tanks; (2) Application of advanced technologies such as drones, smart cameras, robots, remote testing and monitoring equipment on mobile devices, etc. to ensure proactive and timely management, detection and prevention of risks.

Third,To implement green and clean projects at the system of warehouses, depots and petrol stations including: Trading green and environmentally-friendly fuels; Installing vapour recovery systems; Deploying rooftop solar power systems; Planting trees in suitable locations, even studying and investing in forest plantations to accumulate Carbon credits; Standardising customer care services at outsourcing truck service stations, synchronising toilet standards at Petrolimex’s petrol stations.

Fourth,To apply advanced technology solutions to serve the management, administration, and examination of  goods at all stages from sourcing, storage, internal logistics/transportation to sales activities at retail petrol stations such as: (1) Implement projects/software to optimise cargo routes (DOC); (2) Operate the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) in 2024; (3) Apply dashcam, discharge hose surveillance cameras, and number plate recognition for road transportation vehicles, etc.

Fifth,To collect information and data through complete digitisation of business, management, and governance processes, while implementing and operating data Warehouse, Datalake, and so forth to meet the requirements of collecting and processing Big Data; Invest in, standardise, and upgrade the information technology (IT) system to serve major IT, automation, and digital transformation projects and initiatives of the Group, such as upgrading DR, DC, Private cloud, and virtualisation of IT infrastructure, network systems and information security, and data protection of the Group as well as other member units.

Sixth, To carry out comprehensive digital transformation to enhance efficiency in management and governance across the whole Group through digital tools, including: (1) Enhancing features, expanding scope, creating a collaborative environment on the digital platform (DigitalOffice/SmartOffice); (2) To effectively leverage data, and analyse data to support decision-making, expanding and utilising the Business Intelligence Reporting system (BI); (3) To implement the human capital management module SAP HR; Upgrading the technological platform of the petrol station management (EGAS), and so on.

Seventh, To develop a plan to measure CO2 emissions throughout the whole system in accordance with the Prime Minister’s Decision No 01/2022/QD-TTg dated January 18, 2022, as a basis for planning action programmes and implementing projects related to reducing emissions and carbon sequestration.

Eighth,To develop a comprehensive internal training and communication plan on raising awareness of the importance of innovation and technological application, with the goal of ensuring 100 per cent of Petrolimex staff and employees have a clear understanding of the Group’s directions and strategies and are trained and provided with knowledge and skills for digital transformation to gradually establish a digital working environment, digital business, and digital culture in order to successfully implement the Group’s Digital Transformation Strategy and Green Transition Strategy.

Ninth,Pure play corporations will proactively research and refer to the Group’s strategies on the trend of transitioning and converting to green, clean, high-quality, and environmentally-friendly energy based on the digital platform to develop their own strategies, in line with the Group’s development strategies, aiming to: (1) Timely adapt and increase the sales of new products in the future; (2) Enhance labour productivity, business efficiency, competitiveness, and labourers and customers’ digital experience.

Tenth, To create and build an environment and culture to support and promote innovation programmes, research and international cooperation activities, and pilot practical and feasible technology projects, and so on … closely aligned with the Group’s strategic orientations and overall development plans.

In his closing remarks, Deputy Secretary of Petrolimex Party – Board of Management member – Director General – Head of Petrolimex Digital Transformation Implementation Committee Dao Nam Hai  reviewed the main contents of Petrolimex Technovation Day 2023. Also he conveyed a message expecting that the innovation movement will not only spread in the technical and technological fields but also to all other fields throughout the Petrolimex system. Each of the 30,000 employees in the Group is a positive factor contributing to the formation of an innovation ecosystem across the system. Among them, Chairpersons, Director Generals, and Directors of member units will be the leaders and the core to lead the innovation programmes in their respective units.