The Vietnam Construction and Machinery Installation Corporation (Lilama) is stepping up its energy, cement and ship-building projects valued at a combined US$1.8bn, said the company’s general director Pham Hung.  Technical designs for infrastructure construction of the Thang Long and Song Thao cement plants have been finished.  
 
The 5.2 trillion VND (US$325.6m) Thang Long factory will be capable of producing an annual 2.3Mt of cement while the 1.1 trillion VND (US$66.1m) Song Thao plant, scheduled to open in 2008, will have an annual capacity of 2.5Mt
 
The corporation has begun topographical and geological surveys for the planned 180-megawatt Hua Na hydro-power plant in central Nghe An province. The provincial People’s Committee has already approved a plan to resettle people living in the project site.  
 
Lilama has also submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Industry for it to build a 630 million USD, 1,200-MW Vung Ang 1 power plant, and a landing wharf for coal barges at Vung Ang Deep Sea Harbour Region in central Ha Tinh province.  
 
The Hai Phong Equipment Manufacture and Ship-Building Company (Lisemco), a subsidiary of Lilama, is now negotiating with a German partner to build five 8500-tonne ships next year in a deal valued at US$50m, it said.