Vietnam refinery to start production in November?

Vietnam's first alumina refinery could start producing in November, after several delays, and sell an expected 50kt this year directly to clients without any tenders, the company operating the plant said.

Reuters Africa (http://af.reuters.com/article/metalsNews/idAFL3E7K90CV20110909) reports alumina output at the $460M Tan Rai plant would rise to 350kt next year, around half its projected annual capacity, said Chief Executive Officer Le Minh Chuan of Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group, adding that no tenders had been planned yet.

“Vinacomin will give priority to the clients who are committed to signing long-term contracts to buy alumina,” Chuan said in a written reply to Reuters.

Vinacomin and China's Yunnan Metallurgical Group (YMG) have a 30-year agreement under which the Vietnamese firm would sell 600kt-900kt/y of alumina to Yunnan Metallurgical to feed its smelter Yunnan Aluminium Industry Co Ltd.