4:35:16 PM | 7/8/2014
After experiencing many ups and downs since going into operation, Lao Cai Copper Factory currently has entered the stage of stable production with very positive results. By smart decisions and powerful investment measures of the company, together with the solidarity of staffs, Lao Cai Copper Factory has introduced to the market many products of high economic value, contributing to the economic development of the province and the country.
The copper smelter factory of Lao Cai Copper Company, under Minerals Holding Corporation (Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group), is located at Tang Loong Industrial Zone (Tang Loong town, Bao Thang District, Lao Cai Province). It has a capacity of 10,000 tons of katot copper/year and other products including: 340 kg of gold/year, 150 kg of silver/year, 40,000 tons of sulfuric acid/year... The katot copper of the factory is forged from Sin Quyen copper ore mined by Sin Quyen copper mining company and refined from crude copper ore recruited from the Sin Quyen copper mine (Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province). This copper reserve contains about tens of millions tons of copper, discovered nearly 50 years ago by Vietnamese geology and is also the only major copper mine in Vietnam as well as Southeast Asia. Currently, every year Lao Cai Copper Company produces a large amount of katot copper, saving thousands billion VND for the country.
However, to be able to achieve success as it is today, it’s not an easy story for the company. “Although the factory went into operation in August 2008 but due to difficulty in dealing with new, unfamiliar technology, the first months were mostly used to learning the rope. In 2009 - 2010, the factory only produced around 60 percent of designed capacity as it was the first time copper smelting technology was applied in our country. It is fire melting technology using Thuy Khau Son oven, an advanced but very complex technology requiring high synchronism and accuracy. To create products of which purity is almost absolute (99.95 percent copper) is very difficult so initial confusion is inevitable,” said Mr Trinh Van Tue, Director of Lao Cai Copper Company.
By determination of the company's management, learning efforts of the staff in embracing and controlling new technologies, starting from 2011, Lao Cai Copper Factory has gone into production with full capacity. In 2013, the main product of the factory which is katot copper sheet reached 9,700 tons, exceeding plan. According to quality tests and analysis by VILAS 182 standard of the Vietnam Institute of Energy and Mining Engineering, the katot copper products of the factory were up to international standard with 99.97 percent copper (higher than the design criteria 99.95 percent copper). Other products such as silver, gold, acid... also achieve high yields.
To improve the efficiency of production, technical innovations has always been a focus of the company to save material, reduce production costs, improve working conditions and protect environment. The company has constantly motivated and encouraged employees to promote creativity in production, proposing ideas to improve production efficiency. As operating in a heavy industry of many potential risks, in parallel with developing production and business, Lao Cai Copper Company also pays great attention to the staffs’ life so that workers can be assured to work and stay with the company. Currently, the average wage of the company’s workers is VND 7.8 million/person/month.
To accomplish its objectives, in 2014, Lao Cai Copper Company will implement a series of measures to increase productivity, streamline production and maintain production schedule. Especially, the company will promote competition movements, implementing many initiatives and applying technical innovations. Since the beginning of the year, the company has had a number of initiatives contributing to raising productivity and product recalls such as: “Produce gypsum, reduce solid waste”, “Promoting rare products”, “Replacing iron and steel mold by copper”. With right direction and determination of all staffs, Lao Cai Copper Company believes it will meet and surpass the plan for 2014.
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