Mining Industry Targets Higher Value Through Deep Processing
With abundant mineral resources, substantial reserves, and high economic value—particularly bauxite and titanium—Lam Dong Province is accelerating the development of a value-added mining industry centered on deep processing and downstream manufacturing.
Bauxite and Titanium Draw Strong Investor Interest
Lam Dong is currently home to two operating alumina plants—Nhan Co and Tan Rai—with a combined annual production capacity of 1.3 million tonnes of alumina.
Meanwhile, the Dak Nong Aluminum Electrolysis Plant is under construction. Phase I, with an annual capacity of 150,000 tonnes of aluminum, is expected to begin operations later this year, while the full project, with a total capacity of 450,000 tonnes annually, is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2027.
The province has also licensed three titanium slag processing projects, three zircon powder processing plants, and two titanium pigment production facilities. Authorities are working to remove obstacles facing the Song Binh Titanium Dioxide JSC titanium slag processing plant, which has a designed capacity of 60,000 tonnes per year and is expected to enter operation in 2027.
Investor interest in Lam Dong's bauxite sector has continued to grow. Recently, the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (TKV) received provincial approval to revise investment policies for the expansion of the Nhan Co Alumina Plant and the Lam Dong Bauxite–Aluminum Complex, with a combined investment of nearly VND 60 trillion.
According to TKV President Vu Anh Tuan, once completed, the projects will raise the group's total alumina output to 4 million tonnes annually, contribute around VND 4 trillion in annual state budget revenue, and create approximately 3,000 jobs.
In late May 2026, provincial leaders also met with THACO Group to discuss investment opportunities. The company expressed strong interest in participating in the Lam Dong 2 Alumina Plant, designed for 2 million tonnes of alumina per year, together with the associated Lam Dong 2 bauxite mining complex, representing investments worth several billion US dollars.
Several other investors—including Dong Bac Corporation, Vietnam Mining Co., Ltd., Viet Phuong Group, and Tay Nguyen Mineral Exploitation JSC—have also proposed investments in new alumina projects in Dak Nong.
Focusing on Downstream Mineral Processing
Under Lam Dong's industrial growth strategy for 2026–2030, authorities have identifed mineral extraction combined with advanced processing as one of the province's strongest industrial advantages.
Current planning includes eight alumina plants, each with annual capacities ranging from 1 to 2 million tonnes, supplied by bauxite mining clusters across the province.
For titanium, development plans prioritize higher-value products, including:
- Ultra-fine zircon powder
- Titanium slag
- Synthetic rutile
- Reduced ilmenite
- Zirconium oxychloride (ZOC)
- Titanium pigment
- Ferro-titanium
- Titanium sponge
- Metallic titanium
- Monazite
Lam Dong possesses one of Vietnam's richest mineral resource bases, with an estimated 7 billion tonnes of bauxite ore, accounting for 73% of the country's total reserves. The province also holds approximately 566 million tonnes of titanium resources, equivalent to 92.6% of Vietnam's total titanium reserves.
According to Tran Vu Ngoan, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, future development will prioritize deep processing to maximize added value while expanding investment in bauxite, alumina, aluminum, downstream aluminum products, and advanced titanium processing.
The province also aims to gradually establish Vietnam's national aluminum smelting center and national titanium processing hub.
Building a National Bauxite–Aluminum Industrial Hub
Looking ahead, Lam Dong plans to prioritize sustainable development across the entire bauxite value chain—from mining and alumina refining to aluminum smelting and downstream aluminum manufacturing—in accordance with national planning.
Authorities are also seeking investment for a new generation of alumina plants, including:
- Dak Nong 2
- Dak Nong 3
- Dak Nong 4
- Dak Nong 5
- Lam Dong 2
- Lam Dong 3
These projects will be integrated with designated mining areas to ensure stable raw material supplies.
At the same time, titanium development will focus on modern, environmentally responsible mining linked with advanced processing facilities producing synthetic rutile, titanium pigment, titanium sponge, metallic titanium, and other high-value products, creating an integrated production chain from extraction to finished products.
According to the Department of Industry and Trade, during 2026–2030, Lam Dong's mining industry will continue emphasizing efficient resource utilization, deep processing, and strict environmental protection while maintaining its role as a strategic supplier of raw materials for the construction materials sector and other manufacturing industries.
Between 2021 and 2025, mineral enterprises in the province exported nearly 134,400 tonnes of titanium products and approximately 6.97 million tonnes of alumina and aluminum hydroxide, generating more than US$3.1 billion in export revenue. Of that total, alumina and aluminum hydroxide exports alone accounted for nearly US$2.99 billion, highlighting the sector's growing contribution to Lam Dong's industrial economy.