Hanoi sets timetable to allow pilot production of rare earth oxides
Hanoi People s Committee has approved a pilot project to produce rare earth oxides with a purity of over 95 per cent from Vietnamese rare earth ore at a semi industrial scale
On September 1, Hanoi's People's Committee signed Decision No.4657/QD-UBND, permitting the Mining Technology and Construction Consultancy JSC to initiate a 18-month pilot project for producing rare earth oxides in Vietnam. The project, overseen by strict monitoring via camera systems and 33 KPIs, will take place at the Dong Pao mine in Lai Chau province, utilizing Vietnamese ore sourced from the site.
The pilot aims to achieve a purity of over 95% in total rare earth oxides, with a designed capacity of 100 kg of run-of-mine ore per hour. Thirty-five personnel will operate the project, receiving training in chemical and radiation safety, while maintaining a non-commercial approach to the products produced. The project's outcomes will help improve technological processes, establish technical standards, and set management norms for deep processing of rare earth elements.
Vietnam has an estimated 30 million tonnes of rare earth reserves, but has yet to fully research and exploit them, with South Korea's Trident forming a joint venture with US company Zoetic to develop rare earth mines in the country. Vietnam plans to limit raw rare earth exports by 2026 to establish a closed manufacturing chain and control the strategic mineral resource.
Written by urgent.news from Vietnam Investment Review's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
