Posted on 23 Feb 2016
The UK’s Zincox Resources PLC said Ba Ria-Vung Tau (BR-VT) Province is a good destination for it to develop an arc furnace dust recycling facility worth US$115 million.
The company got in-principle approval for the project with an annual processing capacity of 100,000 tons at Phu My 3 Industrial Park in the southern province on Tuesday.
According to Zincox Resources, industrial parks in Phu My of Ba Ria-Vung Tau are home to many steel mills, so it is an appropriate place for the company to build a plant to treat electric arc furnace dust. These steel mills account for more than two-thirds of Vietnam’s steel production.
Therefore, the investment project of Zincox Resources is necessary as the province’s steel industry needs an appropriate measure to recycle electric arc furnace dust emitted from steel mills.
Like other recycling facilities of Zincox Resources around the world, the output of the facility in Ba Ria-Vung Tau is zinc oxide of high purity, which can be used by the rubber and ceramics industries.
It will take Zincox Resources a couple of months to negotiate with local steel mills to ensure long-term supplies for the facility as well as prepare an environment impact assessment.
Zincox Resources expects to provide steel mills in Ba Ria-Vung Tau with a good dust recycling service and rubber and tire producers with more zinc oxide supply.
According to experts, Vietnam’s steel industry is not environmentally sustainable as dust emitted from electric arc furnace has not been recycled effectively. Zinc oxide contained in each car tire or rubber product accounts for 2-5%.
Seven operational steel mills in Ba Ria-Vung Tau are operated by Southern Steel, Fuco, Pomina 2, Pomina 3, Dong Tien, Posco Vina and Vina Kyoei. These facilities have a combined capacity of about five million tons of steel ingots per year.
Environment experts estimated with millions of tons of steel produced, over 800 tons of dust and slag are emitted a day.
Le Tan Cuong, head of environmental protection in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, told the Daily on February 17 that emissions from steel mills are hazardous.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has permitted three environmental firms specializing in treating hazardous waste in the northern provinces of Thai Nguyen and Hai Duong to collect and transport dust from steel mills in Ba Ria-Vung Tau to the north for treatment, he added.
Back in 2014, the government of Ba Ria-Vung Tau decided not to call for investment in steel production, particularly construction steel and steel ingots, and seven other sectors as they pose a high risk of water pollution.
