From afar, on Bai Chay bridge, one can see the dust rising from the port in the middle of Cua Luc bay, connected by a kilometer-long conveyor belt to a cement factory on the shore of Cua Luc bay in the old Hoanh Bo district.
This pollution point is located not far from Cai Lan International Container Port and Cai Lan Port, Ha Long City (Quang Ninh).
Currently, on the shore of Cua Luc Bay, there are two cement factories: Thang Long and Ha Long, located in Thong Nhat and Le Loi communes, both with two conveyor belts several kilometers long extending out into the middle of Cua Luc Bay to the ports to export cement, clinker and receive input materials.
This is not the first time that dust has appeared in Cua Luc Bay.
For many years, it has been proposed that these two cement factories stop expanding phase 2, and must be relocated out of Cua Luc Bay area before 2030 to protect the landscape and environment of Cua Luc Bay as well as Ha Long Bay because these two bays are connected.
The master plan for Ha Long City until 2040, approved by the Prime Minister in 2023, also mentions the relocation of polluting and potentially polluting facilities out of the area around Cua Luc Bay, including the Ha Long Cement Factory and Thang Long Cement Factory located in Thong Nhat and Le Loi communes, because Cua Luc Bay is considered a connecting center, in a multipolar direction, in harmony with the world natural heritage of Ha Long Bay and the mountainous areas north of Ha Long City.
It is known that line 1 of Thang Long Cement Factory in Le Loi commune came into operation in 2008, with a capacity of 2.3 million tons of cement/year; while line 1 of Ha Long Cement Factory in Thong Nhat commune, Ha Long city with a designed capacity of 2.07 million tons of cement/year for products from 2010.
Taking advantage of Cai Lan deep-water port, both factories are equipped with two kilometer-long conveyor belts extending between Cua Luc Bay and the ports for import and export of goods.
In particular, the wharf area of Thang Long Cement Factory, located opposite wharf No. 1 of Cai Lan Port, includes 2 clinker export wharfs for 20,000DWT ships and a cement export wharf for 5,000DWT ships, 500-ton barges, with a capacity of about 2.3 million tons/year.
The wharf area of Ha Long Cement Factory includes 1 clinker import wharf for 10,000DWT ships; 2 wharfs for exporting cement by 300-ton barges, with a capacity of about 2 million tons/year.
Both of these factories have been approved for phase 2 expansion, with capacity equivalent to the current factories.
