National Aluminum Industrial Center - No Acceleration, Difficult to Reach the Finish Line

Dak Nong strives to become the national aluminum industrial center by 2030. To achieve this goal, the province must make a strong breakthrough because time is running out.

Dak Nong Aluminum Electrolysis Plant - Vietnam's first aluminum metal production project with a series of incentives is expected to reach the finish line next year, after 10 years of waiting.

Comrade Ngo Thanh Danh, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Dak Nong province chaired a working session with Tran Hong Quan Metallurgy Company Limited in March 2025.

The aluminum electrolysis project started construction in 2015. Up to now, the project has completed the construction of the office - housing area, production workshop system and auxiliary works, and items connecting to the infrastructure of Nhan Co Industrial Park.

Regarding capital, the investor has fully arranged. Recently, the project has signed a loan contract of 12,500 billion VND with the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank, Dak Nong Branch (MB Bank), equivalent to nearly 80% of the total investment of the project for both phases.

MB Bank signed a contract to arrange capital of 12,500 billion VND for the Dak Nong Aluminum Electrolysis Plant Project (Photo: Nguyen Luong)

The investor has selected Non-ferrous Metallurgy Construction Company Limited (NFC Contractor) as the EPC general contractor for the package of manufacturing, supplying and installing equipment for the project.

According to Mr. Tran Hong Quan, Chairman of the Board of Members of Tran Hong Quan Metallurgy Company Limited, the project's bottlenecks have basically been resolved. There are only a few remaining problems, and the unit proposes that the province soon support to resolve them, especially for the Nhan Co Industrial Park Technical Infrastructure Project and the Aluminum Electrolysis Project.

Dak Nong Aluminum Electrolysis Plant

Specifically, such as conditional acceptance to put some construction items of the Nhan Co Industrial Park infrastructure project into temporary exploitation; building land lease prices associated with infrastructure; establishing a project to exploit infrastructure assets of Nhan Co Industrial Park; building a policy to support investment in the infrastructure of the Aluminum Electrolysis Project; adjusting the Nhan Co Industrial Park technical infrastructure project...

At the previous working session with the Dak Nong Provincial People's Committee, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Truong Thanh Hoai also said: "The Dak Nong Aluminum Electrolysis Plant Project is currently receiving a large amount of capital from investors for infrastructure. The investment support and incentive policies are completely contained in the laws, there is nothing wrong with them, especially the support inside and outside the fence, rental prices... The rest is under the province's authority to accompany and support investors to put the project into operation soon."

Speaking at a recent working session with Tran Hong Quan Metallurgy Company Limited, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Dak Nong Province Ngo Thanh Danh emphasized that this is a key project of the bauxite - aluminum industry of Vietnam and Dak Nong. Therefore, the remaining work belonging to any unit needs to be handled immediately. "Dak Nong is determined to put the project into operation in the second quarter of 2026, serving the target of double-digit growth. Therefore, whatever work can be shortened, we need to shorten it, resolve it immediately, do it quickly, do it early, do it neatly, avoid wasting resources", Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Dak Nong Province Ngo Thanh Danh requested.

The Decision on approving the mechanism and policies applicable to the Dak Nong Aluminum Electrolysis Plant Project, dated May 30, 2014, issued by the Prime Minister, clearly stated the provision of raw materials for the Dak Nong Aluminum Electrolysis Project.

Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Dak Nong Province Ngo Thanh Danh visited the Dak Nong Aluminum Electrolysis Plant Project in March 2025.

Accordingly, Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group is responsible for providing stable and long-term alumina, ensuring quality and quantity, meeting the project's needs at the agreed price.

Previously, on July 9, 2013, the principle contract on alumina purchase and sale between Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group and Tran Hong Quan Metallurgy Company Limited was signed. When completed, Dak Nong Aluminum Electrolysis Plant will consume all products from Nhan Co Alumina Plant and part of products from Tan Rai Alumina Plant ( Lam Dong ).

Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group will invest in new production lines on existing land of operating projects.

Decision No. 866 of the Prime Minister approving the Planning for exploration, exploitation, processing and use of minerals in the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, also focuses on some contents on the issue of exploitation and supply of raw materials for the aluminum industry.

Accordingly, in the period up to 2030, along with maintaining and expanding the design capacity of existing mines, new mining projects will be invested in. The total mining capacity up to 2030 is 68.15 - 112.2 million tons of raw materials/year.

Perspective of Dak Nong Aluminum Electrolysis Plant Project of Tran Hong Quan Metallurgy Company Limited

The period after 2030 will maintain the design capacity of existing mines; at the same time, invest in new mining projects in Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Binh Phuoc, Kon Tum... The total expected mining capacity by 2050 is 72.3 - 118 million tons of raw materials/year.

In addition, it will consider granting mining licenses for newly explored areas in the period 2031 - 2050 when proposed by investors. Thereby, it will provide bauxite ore for invested alumina plant projects and expansion projects when needed.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Truong Thanh Hoai said: “The Dak Nong Aluminum Electrolysis Plant Project is a factory that produces pure aluminum for export. Therefore, when the project is put into operation soon, it will lead to the formation of deep processing industries from aluminum and other supporting industries in Dak Nong.”

Dak Nong expects to become the national aluminum industrial center by 2030.

Once operational, the factory will become an important link connecting the alumina product chain (output products of two alumina factories in Nhan Co and Tan Rai) and supporting industries.

According to calculations, when in commercial operation, the Dak Nong Aluminum Electrolysis Plant Project will contribute about 900 million USD/year to the GDP of Dak Nong province; contribute an average of about 70 million USD/year to the State budget; and at the same time, create jobs for about 950 direct workers.

According to economic experts, aluminum is a source industrial product. Therefore, it will first replace imported goods, meet domestic aluminum consumption demand, contribute to improving trade balance and foreign exchange balance. This is also an input product of other industries such as: production of auto and motorbike spare parts, rolled aluminum, aluminum profiles, etc.

Along with raw materials, the transportation of industrial products bauxite - alumina - aluminum and post-aluminum - output of the Aluminum Electrolysis Plant is also prepared by Dak Nong from afar, through infrastructure projects connecting the Central Highlands region.

Dak Nong Aluminum Electrolysis Plant will consume all products from Nhan Co Alumina Plant and part of products from Tan Rai Alumina Plant (Lam Dong)

In September 2024, together with Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces, Dak Nong proposed to ministries and branches to consider adding the North-South Expressway Project, West section Pleiku - Buon Ma Thuot and Buon Ma Thuot - Gia Nghia section to the medium-term public investment plan 2026 - 2030. Along with that, Dak Nong coordinated with Ninh Thuan to propose implementing a route connecting Dak Nong to Ca Na General Seaport to transport bauxite - aluminum products.

To create a breakthrough for the province, Dak Nong proposed to prioritize the construction of the Dak Nong - Chon Thanh railway to connect with the Trans-Asia railway to Thi Vai port, serving the transportation of alumina, refined aluminum and post-aluminum products. The province also proposed to study and add the Dak Nong - Lam Dong - Binh Thuan railway planning to the national railway planning.

According to Decision No. 866 of the Prime Minister on approving the Planning for exploration, exploitation, processing and use of minerals in the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050, Dak Nong is planned to have 5 bauxite mineral mine clusters. These are Nhan Co Cluster (invested and being exploited) and mine clusters No. 2, 3, 4, 5. Of which, investment will be made in building new bauxite processing plants for mine clusters No. 2, 3, 4, 5 (1 factory/mine cluster).

Production operation at the Central Control Room of Nhan Co Alumina Factory

The general planning of Dak Nong province also plans to build 4 alumina factory projects to process bauxite ore at mine clusters 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Dak Nong has now agreed on the investment policy for bauxite ore processing plant complex projects in mine clusters 2, 3, 4, 5 to ensure compliance with Decision 866 and legal regulations. In particular, Mine Cluster 1 (existing Nhan Co alumina complex), Dak Nong requested the Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group to implement procedures, records, and processes to invest in increasing the capacity of the Nhan Co alumina complex from 650,000 tons of alumina/year to 2 million tons of alumina/year.

In the “Development Strategy of Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group to 2030, with a vision to 2045” of TKV, which has just been approved by the Prime Minister, this goal is clearly specified. Accordingly, TKV will invest in expanding the capacity of Nhan Co alumina complex to about 2 million tons of alumina/year; at the same time, invest in a new Dak Nong 2 bauxite - alumina - aluminum complex with a capacity of 2 million tons of alumina/year and 0.5 million tons of aluminum/year.

TKV will invest in expanding the capacity of Nhan Co Alumina Complex to about 2 million tons of alumina/year.

Similarly, at Mine Cluster No. 2, Dak Nong is promoting necessary procedures to shorten the time to reach the goal of forming the country's aluminum industrial center by 2030.

The project is located in Quang Son commune (Dak Glong). The total area of ​​the project by 2030 is 436.8 hectares. Of which, the factory area: 137 hectares; lake items, tailings pond, red mud dump: 299.8 hectares.

The raw material mine serving the project includes 4 areas: Quang Son; Northeast 1/5; Center 1/5; Southwest 1/5. The location of the factory is in the Mineral Planning approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 866/QD-TTg.

Up to now, the land use index for mineral activities here has been integrated into the district-level land use planning; at the same time, the location for the implementation of the Dak Nong 2 Alumina Factory Project, part of the Dak Nong 2 Bauxite - Alumina Mining and Processing Project complex, has been delineated on the district-level land use planning map...

The total bauxite mining capacity of the whole country by 2030 is 68.15 - 112.2 million tons of raw materials/year.

Currently, Dak Nong is seeking opinions from the Prime Minister and relevant ministries and branches on investing in the Dak Nong 2 bauxite-alumina mining and processing complex. It is striving to approve the investment policy for this project complex before April 30, 2025.

With the above potentials and efforts, the expectation of the first aluminum industrial center of the country in Dak Nong will soon come true, creating a major breakthrough in economic and social development for the locality and the Central Highlands region.

Content, photo: Le Dung

Source: https://baodaknong.vn/trung-tam-cong-nghiep-nhom-quoc-gia-khong-but-toc-kho-ve-dich-250883.html