Lao Cai Industry: Exploiting potential, developing comprehensively and steadily

Lao Cai has great potential and special comparative advantages to develop a solid comprehensive industry. Along with the ups and downs of local history, the industry has grown continuously, becoming a pillar of the economy.

Lao Cai has great potential and special comparative advantages to develop a solid comprehensive industry. Along with the ups and downs of local history, the industry has grown continuously, becoming a pillar of the economy .

Lao Cai Apatite Mine (Cam Duong Mine area) - where more than a century ago, French colonialists conducted exploration and exploitation activities to plunder resources and minerals to enrich the motherland. However, this was also one of the places with the most vibrant revolutionary movements.

In August 1945, workers in the mining area volunteered to join the guerrilla teams under the direction of the Viet Minh front to fight the French and expel the Japanese. After the historic victory of Dien Bien Phu, Lao Cai was liberated, and the Cam Duong mining area fell into the hands of workers and farmers.

Peace was restored, the Party and State focused on economic recovery, healing the wounds of war, and stabilizing people's lives. The Lao Cai Apatite Mine received attention from the Government and the Ministry of Industry, and a policy was proposed to conduct surveys and exploration to bring the Mine back into operation. Ups and downs, difficulties, and challenges have tempered the will and determination of the workers in the Mine area.

Apatit Vietnam One Member Co., Ltd. has continuously grown, becoming one of the leading flags of the Vietnam Chemical Group, making important contributions to the development strategy of the fertilizer and chemical industry in particular and the industry of Vietnam as well as Lao Cai province in general.

Along with the mining industry, Lao Cai is also proud to have Thac Ba Hydroelectric Plant - a pioneering symbol of the energy industry. Thac Ba Hydroelectric Plant was inaugurated on October 5, 1971 - a historical project demonstrating the will of solidarity to overcome difficulties, determined to turn natural potential into precious electricity to serve the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country.

Thac Ba Hydroelectric Plant was built at a very special time, when the war was still fierce and the economy of the North was facing many difficulties. This was the first hydroelectric plant built in the socialist North with the scientific and technical assistance of the Soviet Union. The hydroelectric project was built over a long period of time and divided into 2 phases, including the design survey and the construction process. The survey and drawing ideas were carried out by leading engineers of Vietnam and the Soviet Union from 1959 to 1961.

Three years later, on August 19, 1964, Thac Ba Hydroelectric Plant began construction. After more than 10 years of construction, on October 5, 1971, the plant was started up and connected to the national grid. Thac Ba Hydroelectric Plant contributed to providing an important source of energy, ensuring electricity for the northern provinces during the difficult years of the country.



This project also laid the foundation for the hydropower industry in Lao Cai, opening up the potential for exploiting hydropower resources in the Red River and Chay River basins... From this foundation, up to now, in Lao Cai province, there are 198 hydropower projects in the Planning, with a total installed capacity of 2,777.15 MW, serving the energy needs of the province and contributing to national energy security.

Lao Cai has many advantages to develop industry with many different sectors, the most prominent of which are mining, hydropower, chemicals, fertilizers, and processing industries. Through many historical periods, despite difficult circumstances and heavy war devastation, the province's industry still has important contributions to the overall development of the province. In each period, facing difficulties, challenges and taking advantage of existing opportunities, Lao Cai province has proposed appropriate industrial development directions, especially focusing on key industries to increase production value in line with the actual situation.

According to the Lao Cai Provincial Planning for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050 approved by the Prime Minister, Lao Cai industry aims to maintain a high growth rate, in a sustainable direction and continue to be the main pillar and driving force for economic growth, making Lao Cai one of the centers of industrial development in a modern direction, with high competitiveness with a number of highly specialized industrial clusters...

The direction of industrial development in Lao Cai until 2030 is also clearly defined, focusing on developing industries that are less dependent on local mineral resource exploitation. For industries that depend on natural resources (metallurgy, chemicals, fertilizers, etc.), there will be a strong shift to deep processing, focusing on developing post-metallurgy manufacturing industry. Increasingly attracting investors in the fields of consumer goods production, export and agricultural, forestry, fishery and food processing industry.

For industries with higher technology levels that Lao Cai does not really have the strength to attract development such as mechanical engineering, electronics, information technology, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. The period up to 2030 is the time to prepare and promote to investors the potential, opportunities and incentives in Lao Cai. At the same time, invest in synchronous and connected infrastructure in the Border Gate Economic Zone, industrial parks and industrial clusters to attract the implementation of high-tech industrial projects.

Lao Cai also identified the key, fundamental industrial sectors that need to continue to develop in the future to gradually become the leading industrial province of the region, including: Post-metallurgical manufacturing industry, high-end textiles and footwear, supporting industry, production of electronic equipment and components, processing of gypsum waste, red phosphorus, and phosphorus-rich fertilizers.

Implement the policy of merging Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces into the new Lao Cai province, a new development space full of development opportunities for the industrial sector.

With the complementarity after the merger, concentrated industrial zones with diverse industries will be created, promoting the production and processing value chain. This combination contributes to increasing the efficiency of investment resources, focusing on key projects.

Mr. Hoang Chi Hien, Director of Department of Industry and Trade.

Not only that, with the geographical advantage and border with China, the upgraded transport infrastructure system, railways, roads, highways and 500 kV lines will expand the development space. Enterprises will have more options in terms of production locations and market access, especially in the processing, forestry and biomass power industries.

Mr. Hoang Chi Hien, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, added: Regarding the long-term strategy, the industry will proactively lead the formation of industrial, commercial and service linkage zones along the Red River and Chay River axes, connecting from raw material areas to production areas and logistics centers. We will increase investment attraction, especially in deep processing projects, supporting industries, renewable energy development and border trade infrastructure with businesses as the center and people as the target of service.

From a small scale, with outdated technical and technological levels, Lao Cai industry has developed strongly, affirming its role as an important pillar of the economy. In the period 2020 - 2025, the average growth rate will reach 7.29%/year. The industrial production value in 2025 will reach 75,000 billion VND, an increase of 43.5% compared to 2020, contributing 29.5% to GRDP. The internal industry structure will shift positively towards sustainability; the proportion of processing industry will increase from 73.34% to 76.6%, and mining industry will decrease from 7.38% to 5.5%.

Looking back on the past, Lao Cai industry is not only a solid foundation for the local economy but also a testament to sustainable development based on existing advantages. With strategic vision and consensus of authorities at all levels, businesses and people, Lao Cai promises to continue to affirm its role as an important industrial center of the region in the coming period.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/cong-nghiep-lao-cai-khai-thac-tiem-nang-phat-trien-toan-dien-vung-chac-post881142.html