What did Mr. Tran Dinh Long answer to the question of whether Hoa Phat will participate in the high-speed railway project?

Mr. Tran Dinh Long's statement when responding to the proposal of some large enterprises such as Vingroup and Thaco to participate in the North-South high-speed railway project.

Hoa Phat Group buys steel rail and profile steel production line from SMS Group - Photo: N.NGHI

Sharing at the contract signing ceremony to supply technology and production lines for rail steel and shaped steel with a capacity of 700,000 tons/year between Hoa Phat Group and SMS Group (Germany) held on May 29, Mr. Tran Dinh Long - Chairman of Hoa Phat - affirmed that this is a big event, continuing the strategic partnership between Hoa Phat and SMS.

Capacity 700,000 tons/year

"Choosing SMS as a partner is to ensure the success of the project. Because up to 90% of rail manufacturers for high-speed trains and railways choose to use SMS's production line," Mr. Long shared.

According to the plan, the production line is expected to be completed within 20 months and produce the first high-speed rail products in the first quarter of 2027. With this investment, Hoa Phat Group will become the only enterprise in Southeast Asia to produce steel rails for high-speed railways.

Mr. Bernhard Steenken - SMS's Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APAC-MEA) regional business director - expressed that the cooperation with Hoa Phat is not only to provide a steel production project, but also to "build a legacy", ensuring that this will be a leading project in the production of rail steel and shaped steel in the world , contributing to the development of industry and modernization of Vietnam.

According to Mr. Tran Dinh Long, with this project and many steel projects under implementation, the group focuses on promoting the production of high-quality steel to serve the railway, industrial, oil and gas, mechanical engineering and defense sectors, contributing to import substitution. For example, high-quality steel for the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant, steel for wind power...

Providing high quality steel products for many railway projects

Faced with concerns that the project could be delayed, affecting the supply of Hoa Phat's rail steel products, Mr. Long shared that when Hoa Phat announced this project, some officials expressed concern. However, he affirmed that supplying steel for the high-speed railway was only part of the project.

"Vietnam's railway system will develop a lot, from urban railways to local railways, which are several thousand kilometers long. We do not do anything that is not beneficial or economic. This is a steel rail and profile steel project, especially the output of this project is profile steel, which will be supplied to other projects such as wind power, Ninh Thuan nuclear power, high-quality steel... so Hoa Phat does not put all its eggs in one basket," Mr. Long shared.

Responding to the question of whether Hoa Phat plans to invest in a high-speed railway project like large private corporations such as Vingroup or Thaco have proposed, Hoa Phat's chairman stated his opinion: "Anyone can do a project, but the most important thing is how to ensure progress, time, and quality. Especially after Resolution 68 on promoting the private economy, I think the private sector will do better."

According to Mr. Long, the North-South high-speed railway project will be a "once in a thousand years" project, not only creating a high-speed railway line, but also a boost for the development of the Vietnamese railway industry and the entire economy, so there needs to be preferential policies from the Government. However, Hoa Phat will only choose to invest in areas with strengths, not invest in a scattered, scattered, "beyond capacity" investment.

"When Thaco announced its participation in the project, many people called me and asked if Vingroup and Thaco had participated, and if Hoa Phat would participate. We said, consistently, with Hoa Phat, "do whatever is strong."

Accordingly, Hoa Phat commits that all 10 million tons of railway steel will be high-quality products and Hoa Phat will only participate in supplying steel for the project," Mr. Long affirmed.

NGOC AN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ong-tran-dinh-long-tra-loi-gi-truoc-cau-hoi-hoa-phat-co-tham-gia-du-an-duong-sat-cao-toc-khong-20250529114226043.htm