FAQ: Perm Krai conquers Vietnam with birch activated carbon

https://zwezda.su/article/permskiy-kray-pokoryaet-vetnam-berezovym-aktivirovannym-uglem

Perm Krai conquers Vietnam with birch activated carbon
04.04.2026
Author: Anastasia Kuznetsova

• Photo: Ekaterina Omelina

   

  The official delegation led by the Governor of the Perm Territory Dmitry Makhonin visited Vietnam for the first time in March on a business mission to establish business ties, show our innovations to local companies and open new markets. Among the participants of the trip is Ekaterina Omelina, Director of the Trading House of the Perm Sorbent Plant UralKhimsorb. The enterprise is known for its innovative approach and technology of production of activated birch coal, which is used for purification of liquid media in various industries. In an interview with the Zvezda newspaper, Ekaterina Omelina said that the trip opened up new horizons for industrial exports and allowed her to test in practice how much demand there is for Russian technologies and products abroad.

  — Our sorbent is recognizable not only in Russia: it is used for the purification of drinking and wastewater, as well as in distilleries, in the cosmetic industry, in agriculture and at oil refineries, — notes Ekaterina.

  The goals of the business mission
  As part of the business trip, the company set three goals: to study the demand for industrial sorbents, to analyze competitors producing coconut activated carbon, and to promote Russian products in the Vietnamese market.

  The results exceeded expectations: business meetings showed high interest in birch coal. Most companies had previously been unaware not only of the products, but also of the raw material itself.

  "The clear advantages of the Russian product — the improvement of the taste and aroma of water and beverages, and the economic efficiency due to its lower bulk density and high activity of our sorbents — have attracted the interest of trading companies, alcohol industry enterprises, engineering companies, and manufacturers of modular filtration systems," explains the participant of the business mission.

  Prospects and the first agreements

  Ekaterina Omelina is confident that cooperation with Vietnam is attractive for the Kama region:

  — This is a hub of Southeast Asia with an increase in GDP of over 7%, a rapidly growing industry and a shortage of sorbents for high-quality water treatment and gold mining. For companies in the Perm region that have seasonality in the sale of products or previously supplied products to the Gulf countries or Europe, Vietnam may be interesting as a promising alternative.

  The first agreements have already been reached. For example, it is planned to use Perm sorbents in Vietnam in the production of alcoholic beverages in 2026. The samples of the new CarboClean 6x12 brand have received positive feedback from technologists for their unique ability not only to purify the product, but also to make it taste good due to the special properties of the Ural birch. The environmental friendliness of the product—the absence of chemical impurities and the unique SorbTech activation technology, which forms a developed pore network, allowing 1 gram of coal to sorb up to 1.7 grams of impurities—has impressed Vietnamese producers.

  The trip focused on industrial sorbents for wastewater treatment, a field where environmental issues are particularly acute.

  "We need to conduct industrial tests on site to make sure that our coal surpasses imported coconut in terms of purification speed and sorption quality," adds the Director of the Perm enterprise.

  The trip gave an impetus to internal changes in the company: logistics solutions will be reviewed, new packaging is being developed, adapted to the Vietnamese market. At the same time, the existing packaging will continue to be supplied to 11 countries where coal is already known.

  Lessons and Observations from Vietnam
  The peculiarities of doing business in Vietnam came as a surprise to the Perm delegation. Many small and medium-sized companies are family enterprises that use private houses as offices and showrooms to reduce costs and gain a competitive advantage. For example, one of the producers of premium beer brands has a showroom on the ground floor of a townhouse, with offices above, and the owners living on the upper floors.

  The business culture of Vietnam was generally a pleasant surprise for the Permians, but there are also areas for growth.

  — The hospitality, the speed of decision-making and the high level of professionalism are amazing. Partners never say "no" directly, and we need to learn to understand when consent means "we need to think more," Ekaterina shares her observations.

  She notes that such trips are very significant and contribute to strengthening the economy of the entire Kama Region.

  — The missions generate exports, create new markets for Perm companies and stimulate the long-term development of the region. Meetings with the region's top officials have significantly increased trust in our products, concludes the Director.

  This situation confirms the statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin about the friendly and actively developing nature of Russian-Vietnamese relations. Today, Vietnam ranks 17th among the trade partners of the Perm Territory. Over the past year, exports from the region have increased by 30.3%.
  It should be noted that the business mission was attended by representatives of PNRPU, Novomet Group, PSS Export LLC, Uralkali PJSC, Eurochem-UKK LLC, and NPP Control Systems LLC.