TKV speeds up the process of granting licenses for coal exploration and exploitation

Exploration is one of the most important tasks of the coal industry. To establish coal mining projects, the first thing is to search for mineral potential, organize exploration, determine reserves, from which there is a basis for implementing coal and mineral mining activities. Exploration is aimed at developing resources, upgrading reserves, establishing mining projects and often has to be done 10 years in advance to serve as a buffer when a mining project gradually ends. In other words, this is the most important step, a prerequisite for the success of planning work in general and mining projects in particular of the coal industry.

TKV Mining Geology Joint Stock Company conducts exploratory drilling in Quang Ninh area.

However, in recent times, exploration and survey have encountered many difficulties, especially in relation to overlapping with forest land planning. This has significantly affected the work of upgrading reserves and establishing investment projects for mining projects.

Implementing the Vietnam Coal Industry Development Plan to 2020, with a vision to 2030 approved by the Prime Minister, in 2018, TKV established and submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (TN&MT) (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) for appraisal and issuance of exploration licenses (GPTD) for 7 projects, including: Mao Khe mine, Bac Coc Sau mine, Ha Lam mine, Ha Rang mine, Suoi Lai mine, Dong Vong-Uong Thuong mine, Vang Danh mine.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has appraised and granted licenses for 3 projects, including Mao Khe Mine, Bac Coc Sau Mine, and Ha Lam Mine. These projects have no overlapping issues between the boundary of the planned exploration project and the boundary of the planned protective forest and have completed construction and approved the exploration results report.

For 4 exploration projects: Ha Rang mine, Suoi Lai mine, Dong Vong - Uong Thuong mine, Vang Danh mine, because the boundaries of the exploration projects according to the Planning have a part of the area that has been planned by the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province as "protective forest land or land planned for planting protective forests". Compared with the provisions at Point b, Clause 1, Article 28 of the Law on Minerals, "Special-use forest land, protective forest land or land planned for planting protective forests, geological conservation areas" are areas where mineral activities are prohibited.

On the other hand, due to problems with the planning period according to Plan 403 - effective until 2020, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has no basis to resolve the issuance of mineral operation licenses. To resolve problems related to the planning period, on March 25, 2021, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued Document No. 1356/BTNMT-ĐCKS reporting to the Prime Minister on the removal of problems related to the planning and was approved by the Prime Minister.

On that basis, in 2022, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment granted an exploration license for the Ha Rang and Suoi Lai mine exploration projects for volumes not within the protective forest planning boundary.

For the volume in the protection forest planning that has not been permitted for construction, TKV has fully reported statistics on the area of ​​protection forest, the area of ​​natural forest, completed the investigation of the current forest status for the overlapping projects and reported to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. However, due to the entanglement between the provisions of the Forestry Law and the Mineral Law, the dossier on the exploration project does not meet the conditions to carry out the work of converting the purpose of forest use to another purpose to carry out the issuance of exploration licenses.

On August 24, 2024, the Government approved the National Forestry Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. Accordingly, the road and drilling area of ​​the Projects according to TKV's Planning has been removed from the planning of 3 types of forests, meeting the conditions for granting exploration licenses for the Projects.

This is a favorable condition for TKV to be approved to construct the remaining volume of the two exploration projects of Ha Rang and Suoi Lai mines. At the same time, TKV has continued to establish and complete the submission to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for licensing the exploration projects of Dong Vong - Uong Thuong; Nam Mau, Canh Ga area - Vang Danh mine, Dong Lo Tri, Nui Hong.

According to Mr. Pham Thanh Tuan, Head of the Natural Resources Department - TKV, because Planning 893 is not a Mineral Planning, there is no basis for granting exploration licenses and coal mining licenses. To resolve this problem, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and TKV have issued many reports and requested the Prime Minister to allow the use of QH893 to grant coal exploration licenses and mining permits. On March 8, 2025, the Government issued Resolution No. 46/NQ-CP allowing the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to use QH893 to grant coal exploration licenses and mining permits.

Not only facing difficulties in granting exploration licenses, one of the obstacles affecting the production progress of TKV's units in 2025 is the issue of procedures for granting and renewing exploitation licenses.

"According to Plan 893, in the period of 2020-2030, TKV needs to implement 20 exploration projects and the above 10 projects, as required by the Board of Directors of TKV, must be granted mining licenses in June 2025. Up to now, TKV has only been granted mining licenses by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment for 05/20 exploration projects according to Plan 893 and the Department of Geology and Minerals is organizing the appraisal of the projects, asking for opinions from relevant agencies to serve the issuance of mining licenses" - Mr. Pham Thanh Tuan added.

Cao Son Coal Joint Stock Company - TKV is one of the mines facing difficulties in requesting an extension of its mining license.

Despite many difficulties, TKV still commits to the Government to strive to achieve clean coal production in 2025 of 39.5 million tons, an increase of 1.5 million tons compared to 2024. Coal consumption strives to reach 51.5 million tons, an increase of 2.5 million tons compared to 2024. Total revenue of the whole industry will strive to reach 180,000 billion VND, an increase of 8% compared to 2024. TKV also strives to pay the highest level to the State budget and aims to increase investment value by 12% compared to 2024 in accordance with the direction of the Central and the Government.

Hoang Yen

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/tkv-no-luc-thuc-day-tien-do-de-nghi-cap-phep-cac-du-an-tham-do-va-khai-thac-than-3353734.html