HANOI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- A controlled pilot project to produce rare earth oxides with a purity of over 95 percent from domestically sourced ore was approved in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, Vietnam News Agency reported Friday.
The 18-month pilot project, to be carried out by the Construction Consulting and Mining Technology Joint Stock Company, will be monitored against 33 technical, environmental and radiation safety criteria, said the report.
The project is permitted to use a maximum of 100 tons of raw ore sourced from the Dong Pao mine in the northern province of Lai Chau.
The pilot aims to determine the stability and operational efficiency of the technology and assess its potential for expansion and deployment at an industrial scale. ■