Posco Vietnam Ltd., Co. under the Republic of Korea’s Posco Group, put into operation the first phase of a laminated steel plant in the Phu My II Industrial Zone in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

The plant is designed to have an annual capacity of 1.2 million tonnes with over half of that serving the auto industry.

The plant was built in August, 2007 on an area of 36 hectares with an investment in the first phase of 491 million USD.

The plant is expected to create jobs for around 600 local workers. Posco is expected to continue to expand the plant in the second phase from 2009-2012 to an area of 130 hectares and raise its investment in the plant to a combined 1.1 billion USD.

Once completed, the plant will become the province’s largest project of its kind so far./.