earlier forecast since many thermal power plants have fallen behind
schedule.
The steering committee managing coal imports said, however, that firms
should start looking for foreign coal suppliers immediately to ensure
there is no delay.
"Besides Australia and Indonesia,
Vietnam can also source coal from Russia by buying stakes in mines
there or purchasing the right to mine or buy coal," Nguyen Manh Quan, a
member of the committee and the head of the Heavy Industry Department,
said.
But he was unsure if power-plant investors would begin looking for coal sources any time soon.
Tran Chien Thang, deputy general director of the Vietnam National Coal
and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin), said the Government had
tasked his firm with importing coal for power plants but no investor had
discussed the issue yet.
"Enterprises, especially
State-owned ones, prefer local sources because costs are partly
subsidised by the Government," Quan said.
A private
firm recently signed an agreement with a foreign supplier to buy coal
for 20 years and was willing to import more to supply other companies,
Ta Van Huong, director of the Energy Department, said.
An Vien Group and VinCom Group informed the Ministry of Industry Trade
that they could help local firms source coal from Russia, Minister of
Industry and Trade Le Duong Quang said.
However,
more companies can enter the coal import business as long as they follow
Government rules, according to the ministry .
The steering committee will draft a legal framework to regulate coal imports.
It is not clear yet but Vietnam may have to import between 3 million
and 15 million tonnes of coal a year by 2015 – and 21 million to 40
million by 2020 – as more and more coal-fired power plants are built,
Vinacomin has said./.
Vincomin, a state-run coal and mineral group, said it has had to use export profits to offset the losses caused by low prices at home.