Vietnam, China to discuss plans for bauxite project<\/p>\n
Dow Jones, Hanoi<\/p>\n
Officials from Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and China's
\nNonferrous Metal Corp. will hold talks next week on plans to
\ndevelop a bauxite project in Tay Nguyen, an industry official
\nsaid on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"We will discuss specific steps to be able to start a
\nprefeasibility study for the bauxite project,\" Tran Minh Huan,
\ndirector of the MOI's International Cooperation Department, told
\nDow Jones Newswires.<\/p>\n
Bauxite is a mineral ore used to produce alumina, a raw
\nmaterial for aluminum production. Vietnam's Tay Nguyen, or
\nCentral Highlands, is estimated to have huge reserves of high-
\nquality bauxite ore - up to billions of metric tons - and the
\ncountry is very eager to develop its aluminum industry.<\/p>\n
\"China officials are indicating they want to launch a
\npreliminary study, which will last nine months, before both sides
\ncan go into further details,\" Huan said.<\/p>\n
\"If China wants to produce 2 million tons of alumina each year
\nfor its own market, it will need to build production and port
\nfacilities worth up to more than US$1 billion,\" Huan said.<\/p>\n
While the Central Highlands is rich in the bauxite ore, its
\ninfrastructure is poor and investors wanting to develop the area
\nmust be capable of building roads and a railway, Huan said.<\/p>\n
Investors would have to build a 450-kilometer railway linking
\nTay Nguyen to the Thi Vai port in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province if
\nthey want to export 2 million tons of alumina each year, he said.<\/p>\n
Vietnam's National Mineral Corp., or Vimico, meanwhile, is
\nalso planning to build a $650 million aluminum project in Tay
\nNguyen. The project, which is scheduled for construction in 2004,
\nwill be capable of producing 300,000 tons of alumina, of which
\n140,000 tons will be used for the domestic market and 160,000
\ntons for exports.<\/p>\n
Vietnam imports all its aluminum products, totaling 80,000-
\n90,000 tons a year, and demand is expected to grow by 8 percent
\nto 10 percent in the coming year.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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