Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group (TKV), together with foreign partners, is researching the technology to exploit coals in the Red River coal basin. Currently, the Group is carrying out the procedures for additional exploration licenses in the area of 85.4 km2 in Khoai Chau, Hung Yen province. This location has been preliminarily explored and carefully searched.

According to TKV, after the exploration license is granted, the Group will promptly organize the construction and preparation. If approved by the state, TKV will set up test coal mining projects which use traditional mining technology or coal gasification in the ground on the basis of ensuring economic, environmental and social efficiency.

Based on experimental results, the Group will select the sensible coal mining technology and determine the optimal mining scale in this area. According to TKV, coal in the Red River delta coal basin is the subituminous coal with great potential and is suitable for thermal power plants or can be gasified to manufacture other products. 

However, geological conditions and exploitation conditions in this area are complex, as there is a lot of underground water while soils and rocks surrounding the coal seam are not stable. Furthermore, the surface is the planting field of Thai Binh and Hung Yen provinces.

By Minh Duc