Limit and proceed to stop exploiting low-resource, scattered and small-scale mines.
Planning for exploration, extraction, processing and use of minerals, except petroleum minerals, coal, peat, radioactive ores (uranium, thorium, ...) minerals as construction materials and scattered minerals in accordance with the law on minerals. The planning boundary is the area of mineral distribution and mineral processing on the land area of the whole country.
Towards an end to the exploitation of small, scattered, low-reserve mines
The overall objective of the Master Plan is that mineral resources are strictly managed, exploited, processed, and used economically and efficiently, in association with the development needs of the economy, environmental protection, adaptation to climate change and towards the goal of achieving carbon neutrality. To step up investment and form a synchronous and efficient mining and processing industry with advanced technology and modern equipment in line with the world's trend.
For minerals with large, strategic and important reserves (bauxite, titanium, rare earths, chromite, nickel, copper, gold), enterprises licensed to mine must have sufficient capacity and must invest in appropriate processing projects using advanced technology, modern equipment, and sustainable environmental protection.
Limit and proceed to stop exploiting low-resource, scattered, small-scale mines, and concentrate mineral resources from small-scale mines/mines into clusters of mines large enough for synchronous investment from exploration, exploitation and processing, applying advanced technology and modern equipment.
Encourage enterprises to research and apply new technologies to recycle red mud
The master plan also sets targets for a number of minerals with large, strategic and important reserves in the 2021-2030 period.
Specifically, with bauxite minerals, the exploration and exploitation must be associated with deep processing (at least to alumina products); Choosing an investor to carry out exploration and exploitation projects must be capable of synchronously implementing projects from exploration to deep processing, using advanced technology, modern equipment, and protecting the environment. Encourage enterprises to research and apply new technologies to recycle red mud. New aluminum production projects by electrolysis technology must implement electricity prices according to the market mechanism, which encourages the use of renewable energy.
With titanium minerals, develop the titanium mineral extraction and processing industry with a reasonable roadmap and scale suitable for each period, gradually forming mining-selection technology complexes, titanium mineral processing industrial clusters synchronously with infrastructure. The coastal titanium projects have solutions to ensure the balance of water sources for production and people's needs, agricultural development and aquaculture. Focusing on promoting cooperation in research, technology transfer, investment in mining and processing titanium synchronously with deeply processed products (pigment, titanium dioxide, metal titanium, high-grade zircon, monazite...).
Develop the industry of mining, processing and using rare earth minerals in a synchronous and efficient manner
To develop the industry of mining, processing and using rare earth minerals in a synchronous, efficient and sustainable manner. Newly licensed enterprises to exploit rare earth minerals must associate with processing projects to produce at least the sum of oxides, hydroxides, and rare earth salts with TREO content ≥ 95%, encourage production of up to separate rare earth elements (REO), advanced technology, modern equipment, maximum recovery of accompanying useful minerals, environmental assurance and radiation safety.
Mining of nickel, copper and gold ores must be accompanied by investment projects for processing in a synchronous, efficient and sustainable manner and to maximize the recovery of the accompanying minerals and ensure the environment.
Mining of chromite must have a mining and processing project to recover the maximum amount of minerals accompanying nickel, cobalt, and bentonite.
Research and license iron ore exploration and exploitation for units with experience and capacity in processing and exploiting iron ore for processing limolite, hematite, poor iron, iron laterite minerals in the Central Highlands, and iron ore throughout the country to create quality iron ore products for use in blast furnaces of domestic iron and steel establishments.
Maximize internal resources, international cooperation in the field of scientific research, technology transfer, application and selection of class II, IV and poor apatite, production of selective drugs. Focus on promoting investment in exploitation, selection and processing of class II and IV apatite in order to use resources efficiently and economically.
For other minerals such as copper, gold, lead, zinc...: Good management of resources, exploitation and processing must use advanced technology and equipment, ensure safety and environment, maximize mineral resources recovery to meet domestic demand, license exploration and exploitation associated with deep processing locations. In order to synchronize state management, mining projects, investment projects to process bauxite, titanium, rare earths, chromite, nickel, copper, gold, lead, zinc and iron must be consulted by state management agencies in charge of mining and mineral processing before licensing.
Mining projects are planned to supply raw materials for processing projects according to the balance of market demand
Regarding the planning on the use of minerals, the exploration planning projects are associated with the mining planning projects, and the mining projects are planned to supply raw materials for processing projects according to the balance of market demand.
For metallic minerals: After mining, primary minerals are selected to enrich and separate components (if multimetallic minerals) into refined ores that meet the prescribed standards according to requirements for each processing technology to supply to processing projects/factories to produce metal products, alloys or intermediate products for domestic and export demand.
With bauxite gipsite minerals in the Central Highlands, exploiting and selecting refined ores to supply alumina factories. Aluminum and hydroxide products provide raw materials for Aluminum Electrolysis Plant, other domestic and export needs. Diaspo bauxite minerals are exploited in the Northern provinces, refined into fine ore, supplied to grinding mills... and assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade to be responsible for considering the export according to the proposal of the People's Committee of the province or city where the mine is located on the basis of domestic supply and demand balance.
For products processed from rare earth ores: The sum of rare earths (oxides, hydroxides, salts) with TREO content ≥ 95% and separate rare earth oxides (REO) are provided for domestic demand and export consideration.
As for non-metallic minerals, after mining, raw minerals, through one or more stages such as sorting, crushing, sieving, washing, sieving, etc., into products that have been classified and enriched to meet standards according to the requirements of use or as raw materials for further processing or raw materials and additives for other industries in the country and for export.
Minerals are mineral water and natural hot water, exploited to produce bottled mineral water, serving domestic nursing, medical treatment and tourism establishments and geothermal sources for electricity production (if any) and other fields.
Mining and processing minerals mainly meet domestic demand. The export of a number of minerals/mineral products that have not been processed into metals or alloys after processing shall comply with the guidelines, policies and laws of each specific period and the direction of competent authorities.
