VietNamNet Bridge - Licensed to build seaside resorts to attract tourists to the south-central province of Binh Thuan, some investors have been mining for titanium right at their project sites instead.

Many resort projects have made little or no progress in Binh Thuan since they were licensed years ago. Instead of moving construction equipment to their sites, some of them have mobilized titanium mining tools and machines to their land lots.

Huynh Giac, director of the province’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, told the Daily on Thursday that developers of large resort projects such as Saigon-Ham Tan and Canh Vien had been mining for titanium at their resort construction sites for over one year.

Surprisingly, titanium mining at Saigon-Ham Tan and Canh Vien resort sites has been approved by the provincial government.

Giac said many other delayed resort projects in the province had proposed extending the resort construction time so that they could extract all titanium at the construction sites before work started on their resort projects.

“Haphazard titanium mining has left many sand dunes being razed to the ground and even caused environmental pollution,” said Giac.

The Daily conducted a fact-finding trip to the construction site of Saigon-Ham Tan resort in La Gi town late last week. At least three titanium screening machines were seen operating in a large lake and several large holes were spotted over a large area of deserted  sand dunes.

Saigon-Ham Tan resort project owned by Saigon-Ham Tan Joint Stock Tourism Company covers a total of 200 hectares in Tan Binh Ward of La Gi town with total investment capital of US$150 million.

Giac confirmed with the Daily on Thursday that the Saigon-Ham Tan project was two years behind schedule.

Meanwhile, the developer of the 200-hectare Canh Vien resort project in Son My Ward of Ham Tan District is also mining for titanium at its construction site before any construction work on high-class villas, golf course and amusement facilities starts.

The province has allowed developers of big resort projects to extract all titanium at their sites, but the benefits from those mining projects for the province are insignificant since the titanium is exported directly to China at US$50 or US$70 a ton, Giac said.

“From this July onward, the provincial government will not allow the exploitation of titanium at resort projects while urging the already-licensed projects to swiftly start construction work,” he said.

An official of La Gi town said on Thursday the titanium extracted from this town is now exported unprocessed to China.

There are two companies in the town specializing in mining for titanium for export, namely Tan Quang Cuong and Hai Tinh, the official said.

Sitting on huge reserves of titanium, Binh Thuan Province has been in a dilemma over whether to develop tourism or mine for titanium.

Titanium can be combined with iron, aluminum, vanadium, molybdenum and others to produce strong lightweight alloys for many products like aircraft engines, spacecraft, chemicals, petrochemicals, automotive parts, sporting goods, jewelry and mobile phones.

Source: SGT