Le Duong Quang, deputy minister of Industry and Trade, told the Daily last Friday that Japan, China and some countries in the Middle East had expressed interest in the product.

The ministry on the previous day made a field trip to the Tan Rai bauxite mining and alumina processing complex to check the progress of the project. Alumina output of the facility will reach an estimated 300,000 tons this year and rise to 500,000 tons in the coming years.

Vinacomin is in talks to sell alumina. In principle, Vinacomin will invite tenders for the sale after the project’s pilot running, Quang said.

Construction of the US$700 million project began in 2008. The State-owned mining company is also building Nhan Co alumina plant in Dak Nong Province at the same cost. The Nhan Co facility has an annual capacity of 650,000 tons and is expected to launch its first product in 2014.

Vinacomin is upgrading a road from the Tan Rai plant to National Highway 20 and another from Bao Loc to Dau Giay and Go Dau Port to facilitate alumina transport to a port in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

These roads will be used temporarily before Ke Ga Port is built in Binh Thuan Province, Qung added.

The ministry has asked Vinacomin to re-assess the economic efficiency of the plant given additional investments in road upgrades.