(Construction) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh recently chaired a meeting with various ministries, sectors, and localities to address obstacles and promote transportation infrastructure in the Mekong Delta region (MDR). At this meeting, the ministries, sectors, and localities of the provinces and cities in the MDR noted that traditional river sand is becoming increasingly scarce, thus necessitating the use of alternative new materials for building transportation infrastructure and industrial zones.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired and spoke at the meeting
Traditional River Sand is Becoming Scarce but Ensuring Supply for Key Projects
The Ministry of Transport (MOT) reported that currently, the MDR is implementing five key transportation projects under the directive of the National Steering Committee for Important National Projects and Key Transport Projects. These projects include: The North-South Expressway to the East, Can Tho - Ca Mau section, consisting of two component projects: Can Tho - Hau Giang and Hau Giang - Ca Mau, with the MOT as the managing agency; The Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang Expressway, consisting of four component projects managed by four localities (An Giang, Can Tho, Hau Giang, Soc Trang); The Cao Lanh - An Huu Expressway, consisting of two component projects: Component 1 (Dong Thap), Component 2 (Tien Giang); The My An - Cao Lanh Expressway; The Ho Chi Minh Road, Rach Soi - Ben Nhat, Go Quao - Vinh Thuan sections (MOT as the managing agency).
To date, the supply of sand for roadbed filling has been identified with a total reserve of 63.1 million m3, meeting the demand of 55.5 million m3 for the five projects (An Giang province: 22 million m3, Dong Thap province: 9.3 million m3, Vinh Long province: 5 million m3, Ben Tre province: 5.4 million m3, Tien Giang province: 9.3 million m3, Soc Trang province: 12.1 million m3, including 5.5 million m3 of sea sand). Of this, approximately 36.83 million m3 is ready for exploitation, with supply procedures completed for 26.27 million m3.
The Can Tho - Ca Mau project has identified a source of 28.3 million m3 out of a total demand of 18.5 million m3; 22.3 million m3 has been confirmed for extraction, with procedures being finalized for the remaining 6 million m3. Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces are in the process of licensing extraction to provide 4 million m3 for the project (2 million m3 each), expected to be completed by the end of August 2024. Vinh Long province is reviewing procedures to extend and increase mine capacity by 50% to supply the remaining 2 million m3 by July 2024. Dong Thap province is completing procedures to increase the capacity of two mines (under special mechanisms) expected to be completed in July 2024. An Giang province is finalizing procedures to transfer 1.4 million m3 from the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang project and will complete this by July 2024.
Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Construction, discussed the use of ash and slag from thermal power plants as construction materials.
For the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang Expressway: Component 1 (An Giang) has identified a sufficient source of 9.3 million m3; Component 2 (Can Tho) has identified a source of 7.8 million m3 against a demand of 7 million m3; Component 3 (Hau Giang) has identified a sufficient source of 6 million m3; Component 4 (Soc Trang) has identified a sufficient source of 6.6 million m3.
For the Cao Lanh - An Huu Expressway: Component 1 (Dong Thap) has identified a sufficient source of 2.3 million m3; Component 2 (Tien Giang) has identified a sufficient source of 0.95 million m3.
The Ho Chi Minh Road, Rach Soi - Ben Nhat, Go Quao - Vinh Thuan section has identified a sufficient source of 1.85 million m3. The My An - Cao Lanh Expressway in Dong Thap province has committed to providing 3.1 million m3 for the project.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment noted that as of July 2024, there are 42 valid river sand mining licenses with a total licensed volume of 43.9 million m3 and an extraction capacity of 33.2 million m3/year (including one license with increased total capacity).
The MOT indicated that all five projects have now identified sufficient sand supply. The remaining task is to simultaneously complete the procedures to shorten the licensing time for sand mines and increase the capacity of new mines to meet the proposed schedule. However, some localities still face prolonged licensing procedures. Hau Giang province currently has only one sand mine with a reserve of about 2.6 million m3, lacking about 3.4 million m3. Hau Giang is supported by Ben Tre province, but licensing new mines takes about 60 days. In the meantime, the project still lacks sand supply.
Ministries, Sectors, and Localities Recommend Using New Materials for Building Transportation Infrastructure and Industrial Zones
At the working session between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the ministries, sectors, and localities to address obstacles and promote transportation infrastructure in the MDR, held in Can Tho on the afternoon of July 13, 2024, the ministries and localities proposed to the Prime Minister to use sea sand, coal ash, and slag from thermal power plants to replace the currently scarce river sand for filling.
Nguyen Tien Hai, Member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee, proposed using sea sand for road construction.
Mr. Nguyen Tien Hai, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee, noted that the MDR in general and Ca Mau province in particular still face many difficulties in promoting transportation infrastructure development, such as narrow and small main roads needing urgent upgrades to enhance connectivity, investment capital difficulties, climate change, rising sea levels, and increasingly challenging exploitation of conventional mineral resources for construction materials.
"The National Highway 1 and Ho Chi Minh Road from Ca Mau city to Dat Mui currently have narrow road surfaces and high traffic volumes. We propose the Prime Minister consider prioritizing and balancing the mid-term public investment capital for the 2021-2025 period to implement this soon. The bypass of National Highway 63 through Ca Mau overlaps with the Ho Chi Minh Road plan, connecting with the Can Tho - Ca Mau Expressway at IC10 interchange. The MOT is implementing the Ho Chi Minh Road project from Rach Soi to Ben Nhat, Go Quao to Vinh Thuan sections, but the Vinh Thuan - Ca Mau section currently only supports one lane and needs upgrading to enhance connectivity with the expressway. Therefore, we propose the Prime Minister consider balancing the capital for early implementation.
The project to expand and upgrade Ca Mau Airport involves large land clearance, affecting many households and organizations. The land clearance process must ensure the time to complete the procedures and steps as per regulations. We propose the Prime Minister instruct the ministries and sectors to expedite the appraisal of documents and soon report to the Prime Minister for investment policy decisions.
The trial use of sea sand for expressway projects shows that this is a very feasible material. To ensure a stable supply of construction materials in the region, we propose the Prime Minister instruct localities to soon commercialize sea sand exploitation. Ministries and sectors should issue technical guidelines for using sea sand in construction works. Localities with river sand and stone mines should review the mine plans and have appropriate exploitation plans to ensure a stable supply of these materials in the future," proposed Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Tien Hai.
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Nguyen Van Hieu, Secretary of the Can Tho City Party Committee, proposed that the Prime Minister allow the use of ash and slag from thermal power plants for road construction and industrial infrastructure.
Apart from sea sand, at the working session with the Prime Minister, Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Secretary of the Can Tho City Party Committee, proposed the Prime Minister allow the use of coal ash and slag from thermal power plants to fill roads and industrial infrastructure.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu noted that Can Tho is not only developing expressway projects but also implementing National Highway 91, provincial roads, and many other transportation projects connecting expressways with other routes. All these projects require a large amount of filling sand.
According to statistics, from now until the 2026-2027 period, Can Tho city needs 20 million m3 of sand for key transportation projects, industrial zones, and commercial service areas. However, Can Tho city lacks large sand mines for filling. Additionally, riverbank erosion has been occurring frequently, not only in the dry season but also during the rainy season.
Secretary Nguyen Van Hieu proposed that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh allow Can Tho city to trial sea sand and coal ash to meet the future filling sand needs. "This trial will be limited in scope to ensure control. We will strive to coordinate with the ministries and sectors for implementation if permitted," proposed Secretary Nguyen Van Hieu.
At the working session to address obstacles and promote transportation infrastructure in the MDR, the Ministry of Construction reported that on March 25, 2024, the Ministry had submitted Report No. 55/BC-BXD to the Prime Minister on the implementation of Directive No. 08/CT-TTg dated March 26, 2021, on promoting the treatment and use of ash, slag, and gypsum from thermal power plants, chemical, and fertilizer plants as raw materials for building materials production and in construction works.
At the conference in Can Tho on July 13, 2024, the Ministry of Construction proposed that the Prime Minister instruct ministries, sectors, and emission sources to accelerate implementation. The MOT should research and promote the use of thermal power plant ash and slag in constructing transportation projects (grade III and below); provide guidelines for using ash and slag for roadbed filling. According to TCVN 12660:2019, thermal power plant ash and slag can only be used for roadbed filling at a depth of 80-100cm from the bottom of the road structure and not in areas with underlying groundwater.
The Ministry of Finance should regulate accounting for thermal power plant ash, slag, and gypsum to align with current regulations and coordinate with provincial People's Committees to issue special mechanisms to support transportation costs for construction projects far from supply sources to encourage increased use of ash and slag.
Thermal power plants under the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) should continue to propose incentive policies and invest in treating and using ash, slag, and gypsum to attract and facilitate enterprises handling, using ash, slag, and gypsum to access emission sources; continue seeking suitable partners to accelerate consumption, minimize fly ash stockpiles, and ensure storage volumes at each plant's storage yards do not exceed the total average two-year production emissions.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh agreed and instructed the MOT and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to guide localities in conducting the trial.
Huynh Bien - Construction Newspaper
