General director Dau Van Hung leading a 10-member delegation of VNSTEEL presented the project to Binh Dinh chairman Vu Hoang Ha and local officials after conducting a location survey there, seeking the provincial government's support.

Nguyen Thanh Hai, director of the Binh Dinh Investment Promotion Center, told the Daily on the phone yesterday that the corporation wanted to lease some 120-150 hectares in the province for building the plant as the locality holds good potential for such a project.

While VNSTEEL is operating or building large-scale steel plants in the north and the south, it still does not have any steel mills in the central region, while infrastructure facilities in Binh Dinh will support such a steel project, the source said.

"Binh Dinh has a good location, and good traffic infrastructure," the steel corporation CEO was quoted by Hai as telling the provincial chairman.

Hai said the investor wanted to develop the project in three phases, beginning next year for completion in 2015.

VNSTEEL is considering three sites in the province to set up the plant - Nhon Hon Economic Zone, Long My Industrial Zone or Nhon Hoa Industrial Zone, Hai said.

The plant will use materials including scrap metal for manufacturing steel products and use modern technology to meet requirements for environmental protection.

Hai also said VINASTEEL would cooperate with a Japanese company and some other local companies to carry out the project.

Chairman Ha promised to help the investor in identifying a suitable site and pledged to offer the best conditions for the investor, but required that VNSTEEL strictly abide by regulations on environmental protection.

Source: Saigon Times