The Pride of ‘Uong Bi’ Name

Uong Bi Coal Company was established in 1979 to manage all production and mine construction units in Uong Bi and Dong Trieu coal areas like Mao Khe coal mine, Vang Danh coal mine, and Uong Bi power plant. It was possibly called a coal production and mine building complex. The initial output was nearly 800,000 tonnes a year. The gradual introduction of modern machines and equipment led to separation of its units to set up greater independent entities like Mao Khe Coal Company, Vang Danh Coal Company and Nam Mau Coal Company - strong members of the Vietnam National Coal, Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited (Vinacomin). Uong Bi Coal Company was compared to a good mother of powerful Vang Danh, Mao Khe and Nam Mau today.

 

Coal mines in Uong Bi and Dong Trieu areas now have large production outputs with millions tonnes of coal a year and ensured good life for thousands of coalminers’ families over the past 30 years.

 

Currently, Uong Bi Coal Company manages seven small and medium-sized mining projects with an individual production capacity of 100,000 to 600,000 tonnes a year. These projects have gradually reached their designed capacities like Tan Dan coal mining project, Hoang Bo coal factory (500,000 tonnes a year); Hong Thai coal mine expansion investment project (500,000 tonnes a year); underground construction investment project (120,000 tonnes a year); Dong Vong coal mine expansion project - Dong Vong Coal Company (500,000 tonnes a year); Trang Khe 2 and Trang Khe 3 coal mine expansion investment project (600,000 tonnes a year), Hong Thai coal mine expansion investment project, etc. With continuous investment for expansion, Uong Bi expects to produce 4 million tonnes of coal a year by 2015. According to estimations, the remaining reserve after 2015 will be nearly 56 million tonnes. Now, the company is exploring additional reserves in Dong Trang Bach, Dong Vong, Hong Thai and other areas to confirm geological conditions to have reasonable production plans and select appropriate mining technologies.

 

In the near term, the company will work with the Institute of Mine Technology and consulting units to set up new projects and invest in modern tunnelling and mining technologies in order to fully exploit thin, sloping coal seams with complex geological condition to save resources. Mines will be used modern technologies to ensure safe and effect operations. Currently, coal production units affiliated to Uong Bi Coal Company are operating in areas with low quality coal, primarily dust coal. To improve the coal quality, the company is investing in new screening technologies.