Scholarly record

COAL COMPANIES IN VIETNAM: PRODUCTION SUSTAINABILITY ANALYSIS

Marina Nevskaya, Oksana Marinina, Tatiana Kosovtseva, Chu Thi Que

Abstract

Coal production in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) is a strategic industry that provides resources to many sectors of the economy, including the energy industry, metallurgy, and construction. The distinctive characteristics of the Vietnamese coal industry are a high concentration of operations, the depletion of readily available reserves, and, as a result, an increase in underground mining activities, which already account for more than 60% of coal production. Coal mines belonging to Vinacomin, which is a state-owned company, operate in the conditions of the planned economy, government control over the production volume and coal quality, and limited investment, and the coal produced in difficult geological conditions is used for the domestic needs. Despite the fact that Vietnam adopted Agenda 21 in the field of sustainable development, the country does not have a real opportunity to eliminate coal consumption due to its growing energy needs. According to government programs, the coal industry will retain its strategic role for another 10 to 15 years. This means that the key goal for coal companies is to ensure efficient and safe production. In this regard, it becomes relevant to analyze and assess the production sustainability of coal companies as the ability to maintain operations both in the current conditions and in the long term. The article discusses the choice of production sustainability indicators and analyzes the performance of coal mines in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, discussing such parameters as the complexity of mining and geological conditions, the level of mechanization, the percentage of the estimated capacity, workforce productivity, coal quality and others. The research is based on statistical methods for a quantitative analysis of indicators reflecting mine production sustainability. A conclusion is made that coal mines belonging to Vinacomin are sustainable.

Publication details

Back to publication list