Government approves cement plant project

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has recently given a nod to a project to build the Trung Son cement plant in Luong Son district of northern mountainous Hoa Binh province. The plant is expected to turn out around 2500t of clinker a day. However, total investment as well as the date for the kick off and completion of the project are unavailable.

In related news, Vietnam’s cement market was quite stable in the first quarter of this year. The country’s cement consumption was estimated to reach 6.64 million tons in the first quarter of this year, an on-year increase of 13 per cent. Of the total, the State-owned Vietnam Cement Corporation (VNCC), country’s largest cement producer, sold 3.16Mt, accounting for a 45 per cent market share, up 15 per cent on-year. The second quarter’s demand for cement is forecast to reach 8.5Mt, up nine per cent on-year, of which VNCC will provide some 3.83Mt. 

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam is predicted to consume 31.5-32Mt of cement this year, up 6.8-8.47 per cent against last year. The country’s demand for cement is forecast to grow 8-10 per cent between now and 2010.