Vietnam’s cement industry has expanded significantly over the years, leading to considerable overcapacity – a particularly challenging issue given the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in sales falling. In response, market leader VICEM has shifted its focus to building a more sustainable production base and supplying ‘greener’ products.
Owned by the Vietnamese state, the original cement plant of the Vietnam Cement Industry Corp (VICEM), Hai Phong XI Mang, was built in 1899. As a company, VICEM was formerly known as the Union of Cement Enterprises, which was established in 1979 and renamed the Vietnam Cement Corp in 1994.
VICEM currently operates a total cement capacity of 57.31Mta and a clinker capacity of 38.56Mta in Vietnam. This accounts for nearly half of the country’s cement production base and includes the 0.2Mta white grinding unit at Chinfon Cement Corp’s Haiphong plant. The majority of the group’s production base is located in the north with 32.98Mta of capacity, followed by the south (14.61Mta) and the central region (8.81Mta). The main cement-exporting plants for the group are Bim Son, Nghi Son and Ha Long.
