Vietnam’s Mining and Construction Industries: Pressure to Transform in Response to Global Trends
The green energy transition is driving demand for minerals used in electric vehicles, energy storage systems, power grids, and renewable energy. This opens up opportunities for resource-rich countries, while also setting higher requirements for resource efficiency, traceability, and environmental responsibility.
In this context, the circular economy and green materials are helping the mining industry shift from a “take-make-dispose” model to a model that optimizes resources throughout their entire lifecycle. These trends will be the focus at Mining & Construction Vietnam 2027 – The International Mining and Construction Exhibition, taking place from April 20-22, 2027, at the Vietnam Exhibition Centre (VEC), Dong Anh, Hanoi.
From Linear Extraction to Resource Circularity
In the traditional model, economic value primarily comes from the main minerals, while waste rock, low-grade ore, mine water, and processing sludge are often considered waste. The circular economy changes this approach by managing the entire material flow, from extraction and processing to recovery and recycling.
For the mining industry, the circular model includes increasing recovery rates during mineral processing; reusing water; recovering useful components from tailings, waste dumps, and low-grade ores; and utilizing waste rock and ash/slag as construction materials when they meet technical and environmental requirements.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), recycled materials from batteries could meet about 20–30% of the demand for lithium, nickel, and cobalt by 2050 if collection activities are expanded. The IEA also estimates that recycling could reduce the need to develop new mines by approximately 25% for lithium and nickel, and about 40% for copper and cobalt by mid-century. Therefore, while recycling cannot entirely replace primary mining, it can become a crucial supplementary supply source.
Green Materials Create Value from Secondary Resources
In mining and construction, “green materials” can be understood as materials with high recycled content, produced from secondary resources, or having a lower lifecycle emission footprint. Mine waste rock, fly ash, metallurgical slag, and certain types of treated sludge can be researched for producing leveling materials, aggregates, or construction materials. However, their reuse must be based on rigorous assessments of composition, stability, pollution risks, and relevant regulatory standards.
Water circularity is another highly practical solution. Treated water can be reused in mineral processing, equipment washing, or dust control, helping to reduce the demand for fresh water extraction. For tailings and waste dumps, modern processing technologies can recover additional residual minerals if technical and economic feasibility is ensured. This approach creates added value while reducing storage footprints and environmental risks.
Why Do Vietnamese Enterprises Need to Prepare Early?
Vietnam’s Strategy on Geology, Minerals, and Mining Industry through 2030, with a vision to 2045, aims to develop a modern mining industry linked to environmental protection, the circular economy, the green economy, and carbon neutrality. The strategy also emphasizes using advanced technology, maximizing the recovery of useful components, and developing deep processing. Thus, the circular economy is gradually becoming a core component of the industry’s development orientation.
For effective implementation, enterprises need to build baseline data on input ore volume, recovery rates, water and energy consumption, waste rock volume, and emissions. This helps identify the stages that cause the most significant resource loss or environmental impact. From there, businesses can prioritize projects with measurable outcomes, such as improving recovery rates, water recycling, sensor-based ore sorting, and resource recovery from waste.
Alongside technology, businesses need to establish environmental management systems and transparently disclose key metrics. ISO 14001 can serve as a management framework; mine-level operations can be assessed against the IRMA Standard or reference ICMM principles where appropriate. Because these frameworks have different scopes, they should be selected based on the specific conditions of each enterprise.
The circular economy also requires collaboration between mining enterprises, processing units, material manufacturers, recycling businesses, and technology providers. The waste from one company can become the raw material for another in a different sector, provided it meets technical, safety, and legal requirements.
Vietnamese Enterprises Towards Efficient and Sustainable Mining
The green transition is reshaping how minerals are extracted, processed, used, and recovered. Competitive advantage no longer stems solely from reserves; it also depends on recovery rates, the ability to control environmental impacts, data transparency, and value creation from secondary resources. Proactively adopting technology and expanding partnerships will help Vietnamese enterprises utilize resources more efficiently while better meeting the demands of international supply chains.
The information in this article is compiled from the following sources: The International Energy Agency (IEA), the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), and the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM).
