Vientiane (VNA) – Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung has said that Vietnam will provide the best possible conditions for enterprises to carry out projects in Laos and request the Lao side to support and facilitate the project implementation.
Dung, who is Chairman of the Vietnam-Laos Cooperation Committee, inspected the construction of and assessed challenges facing several Vietnamese-invested projects in southern Laos on September 7-8.
During the trip, he visited the Kaleum coal mine operated by Phonesack Company and the proposed site for the Kaleum Coal Fired Power Plant now being developed in Sekong Province.
The mine's current maximum annual capacity is about 20 million tonnes, of which 3 million tonnes are sold to Vietnam.
The Petrovietnam Power Corporation (PV Power) is seeking lending partners to invest in the project and participate in its management, operation, and maintenance. Construction of the 4.06-billion-USD project is expected to begin in April next year, and its first turbine is hoped to become operational in January 2028.
While there, the minister also visited a bauxite mining and alumina processing complex, one of Vietnam’s largest projects in Laos, of Viet Phuong Group in Sekong’s Dakcheung district. The total projected investment is about 1 billion USD, and exports are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026.
According to a representative of Viet Phuong Group, the main products of the project are raw and refined ore. The final product is alumina, which has undergone processing using state-of-the-art low-temperature evaporation technology. Notably, the project meets environmental standards, consumes less energy, and produces dry red mud that is up to 70% less harmful to the environment.
The group’s leader thanked the Vietnam-Laos and Laos-Vietnam cooperation committees for their assistance, and proposed the Lao Ministry of Planning and Investment support the implementation of the Lakmang Thermal Power Plant project with a capacity of about 600 MW to have electricity for alumina processing. This project is also intended to create a value chain from coal and bauxite ore to alumina and aluminum.
Minister Dung stressed that Vietnam is always in the top three investors in Laos. The Viet Phuong Group’s bauxite mining and alumina processing complex will contribute to the development of the Lao industry as well as economic relations.
He asked the group to fulfill its commitments, comply with the local laws, and use advanced technology to protect the environment.
The minister also suggested the group pay attention to social security activities, contributing to Lao budget and boosting the livelihoods of local residents, especially Vietnamese workers there.
Minister Dung thanked Lao Minister of Planning and Investment Phet Phomphiphak for his coordination to address obstacles, expressing his hope that local authorities will create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese businesses and the project will become a symbol for the two countries’ relations in all fields.
For his part, Phomphiphak agreed to facilitate the project implementation, thus deepening the two countries’ partnership. The Lao Government praised Viet Phuong group’s project, and will continue working closely towards common goals that align with Lao and international laws./.
