The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has disclosed an application by Nui Phao Mining and Processing Co Ltd to conduct mineral exploration at Nui Chiem in Thai Nguyen Province.
The proposed exploration area spans more than 984.3 hectares across Dai Phuc, An Khanh and Phu Lac communes, with a planned duration of 48 months from the date of licence approval.
The company has pledged to comply fully with Vietnam’s mineral regulations and other relevant laws.
The existing Nui Phao mine operates under a licence issued on September 21, 2010, covering 90 hectares with approved reserves of 83.22 million tonnes.
The mining complex currently extracts and processes four main products: tungsten, fluorite, bismuth and copper.
Inside the Nui Phao plant in Thai Nguyen (Photo: Masan).
According to the US Geological Survey, Nui Phao is the world’s second largest tungsten mine outside China and ranks fifth globally in fluorite production.
The company has accounted for around 21 per cent of tungsten supply outside China over the past five years.
Actual images of processing stages at the Nui Phao mineral exploitation and processing plant (Photo: Ministry of Agriculture and Environment).
Known for its exceptional heat resistance and hardness close to that of diamond, tungsten plays a critical role in advanced technologies, including semiconductor manufacturing, high power electronics and high performance computing systems used in global data centres.
Forecasts suggest global tungsten demand could increase by about 24,000 tonnes by 2030, while new supply remains limited. Meanwhile, global investment in AI infrastructure is projected to reach USD 5 to 8 trillion by 2030, driving sustained demand for strategic metals.
