Wind power, titanium projects on direct collision course

Wind power in Binh Thuan holds big potential development, but projects in this sector are on a direct collision course with titanium ones - Photo: Khai Nguyen

HCMC, BINH THUAN – Several projects in both wind power and titanium mining sectors in the central province of Binh Thuan have been put on hold as most of the land reserved for wind power overlaps the sites for titanium mining, a provincial official said.

Ho Son Hung, deputy director of the province’s Department of Industry and Trade, told the Daily on Thursday that the provincial government had to date licensed a total of 12 wind power projects covering some 14,000 hectares.

“However, nearly 12,000 hectares of land for the wind power projects is overlapping areas of titanium exploitation with total reserves of some 500 million tons,” he said after a meeting on wind power on Thursday in Binh Thuan.

The twelve licensed wind power projects are Binh Thuan Wind Power 1, Tien Thanh, Phuoc The, Saigon-Binh Thuan, Mien Dong, Thuan Nhien Phong, Binh Thuan, Phu Lac, Van Thanh, HD, WPD, and Vinh Hao.

“This has been an awkward situation for years. We have asked the Government to give a final decision on which areas to be allowed for tapping titanium now and which titanium areas are to be reserved for next generations so that we could continue licensing wind power projects in the coming time,” he said.

“The province will hopefully receive a final decision from the Government in November this year,” he said.

Because of the overlapping situation, the province has decided to stop giving more investment licenses for wind power projects while pending a clearer plan for exploiting titanium reserves.

Hung said he had just heard that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment had completed a scheme pinpointing locations of titanium around the province. Binh Thuan is expecting to have the scheme soon.

In recent years, Binh Thuan Province has been known as an attractive place for investors of both titanium projects and wind power projects. The province is said to have total wind power potentiality of some 3,000 MW to be developed between 2010 and 2020 on a total area of some 75,500 hectares, while titanium reserves in the locality are estimated at half a billion tons.

The province on Thursday organized a seminar on wind power development with the participation of many domestic and international energy experts.

Many experts agreed that Binh Thuan’s wind power potentiality will be effectively tapped if the power generated from wind is sold at a better price to ensure profits for investors.

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Mining could kill Binh Thuan's tourism

Tourists hang out on Mui Ne beach in Binh Thuan Province. The province's tourism industry has been seriously affected by titanium-exploitation projects. — VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuan

BINH THUAN — More than 410 tourism projects in central Binh Thuan Province have been seriously affected by titanium-exploitation projects, which are polluting coastal areas.

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Bac Binh District's Hoa Thang Commune is one of several locations where titanium exploitation has damaged tourism projects.

At contiguous areas near Hon Rom – Mui Ne, about 13 enterprises have complained about the waste that is left on beaches by titantium exploiters.

The companies that dig for titanium use sea water to filter the titanium from the sand. But because the sea waters in the area are so calm, the waste is left on shore, driving away tourists.

The pollution is also affecting the attractive Nghe Islet, according to a representative of a tourism company in the province.

In addition, titanium exploiters including Hai Tinh and Tan Quang Cuong companies are working along the coastline of Ham Tan – La Gi, considered a beautiful area attrative to tourists.

Air and water pollution has robbed the area of its beauty, investors have said.

Many tourism investors have withdrawn their projects, even though they have received licenses.

Tran Thi Mai Anh, investor of Tien Phu Tourism Project, complained that the province had focused on tourism as a key economic sector but had granted licenses to many titanium-exploitation projects.

Anh said that her VND20 billion project had to be suspended because her partner had withdrawn its funds. She now wants to sell the project to pay the bank debt.

About 140 of 410 licensed tourism projects are operating in Binh Thuan Province.

Huynh Giac, head of the province's Department of Natural Resource and Environment, told Dau Tu newspaper there were 63 tourism projects built in an area of titanium exploration that is part of a larger mineral exploitation plan developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Nguyen Hong Son, deputy head of the Binh Thuan Tourism Association and owner of Doi Su Resort, said the association had often urged the province not to authorise mineral exploitation near tourism areas, but to no avail.

Nguyen Van Dung, deputy head of the province's People's Committee, said in October the scheme for titanium exploitation in the province would be completed.

Under the plan, the province would allow tourism projects in areas that have low titanium reserves, and ban mineral exploitation.

For areas rich with titanium, the province will not allow investment or long-term construction in tourism projects.

The province has also asked companies that are exploiting titanium to keep a safe distance from tourism projects and commit to environmental preservation.

Titanium has been exploited in the province for several years, with 2007 being the most active year. Revenue was reported at VND600 million that year, and all of the raw material was exported to China.

"Binh Thuan sees tourism as the key economic sector. So we are trying to reconcile the benefits received by both the tourism and mineral industries," said Nguyen Van Thu, deputy head of Binh Thuan Province People's Committee — VNS

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