Vinacomin - Nui Beo Coal Joint Stock Company have just shut down its largest open cast coal mine in Ha Long City in the northern province of Quang Ninh following the province's target to switch to environmentally-friendly coal mining.
Nui Beo used to be the biggest open cast coal source in Ha Long City with an average annual output of five million tonnes.
Director of Vinacomin - Nui Beo Coal Joint Stock Company, Ngo The Phiet said that they have closed the mine before the deadline given by the Quang Ninh authorities and the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin).
"We mined our one-millionth tonne of coal from our underground mines on November 20 and expect to achieve an output of 1.10 million tonnes this year," he said. "This is a major achievement in our transformation from operating open cast coal mines to underground coal mining.
Phiet added that the company had set a target of reaching an output of two million tonnes by 2024 to ensure stable work and income for over 3,000 workers.
Nui Beo used to be the biggest open cast coal source in Ha Long City with an average annual output of five million tonnes.
Quang Ninh plans to close several more open cast coal mines in Ha Long City from now to 2025. Vinacomin - HaLam Coal Joint Stock Company will close their last open-pit mines this year while the Hon Gai Coal Company will close theirs next year before turning all to underground coal mining.
Quang Ninh Province has worked open cast coal mines for decades, work that has caused serious environmental consequences for Ha Long City and Ha Long Bay.