Vietnam mine collapse raises prospect of safety checks

Market: Coal
28/08/23

A fatal collapse of a coal mine in Vietnam has raised the prospect of enhanced safety measures at domestic mines, potentially tightening supplies and supporting demand for imported coal.

A mine operated by Vang Danh Coal in Quang Ninh province collapsed on 26 August, killing four workers, the Ministry of Public Security said. Police and authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, it added.

Vang Danh Coal is a part of state-owned coal producer Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries (Vinacomin), producing over 3mn t in 2019. It did not respond to a request for comment and share its latest coal production data. Vinacomin produced 2.97mn t of raw coal in July and 22.83mn t during January-July.

Vietnam imported 7.21mn t of coal in June, up from 4.41mn t a year earlier and 5.1mn t in May, provisional customs data show. The country's overall coal imports during January-June rose to around 24.2mn t, up from 16.65mn t in the same period a year earlier. Vietnamese customs data do not differentiate between coking and thermal coal. The country sees the country's coal imports steadily rising over the next decade before peaking at around 85mn t in 2035. Coal imports are projected to reach about 73mn t by 2030 and rise further by about 12mn t to their peak in 2035, according to the government's latest national energy master plan.

By Saurabh Chaturvedi

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