Tiếng Việt
中文 (中国)
Lime is a critical raw material across a wide range of industries, including construction, food processing, pulp and paper, metallurgy, and environmental treatment. In Vietnam, the development of industrial lime production is drawing increased interest from investors, particularly due to its natural synergy with cement manufacturing plants, thanks to abundant domestic limestone reserves.
As science and technology have progressed, the lime industry has also evolved—transitioning from rudimentary methods to more modern, complex systems, with continuous improvements in product quality.
Given that lime serves as a vital input material for many industrial processes, most countries maintain dedicated lime production facilities to support their manufacturing sectors. Depending on a nation’s level of industrialization, lime production ranges from manual processes to fully industrialized operations, predominantly utilizing either vertical or rotary kilns. Of these, vertical kiln technology remains the most widely adopted in the industry today.
Other less common technologies include multi-chamber vertical kilns, central burner vertical kilns, external combustion chamber vertical kilns, moving grate kilns, and regenerative kilns.
Global Lime Production and Consumption
Internationally, lime kilns are typically operated at capacities ranging from 50 to 500 tons per day, with only about 10% operating outside this range. Notably, statistics often exclude kilns built for self-sufficient industrial use.
Between 2009 and 2012, global lime production maintained an upward trend, albeit at a slower pace than in earlier years. According to U.S. Geological Survey data, global production reached:
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311 million tons in 2010 (up 11% from 2009),
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331 million tons in 2011 (up 6.4% from 2010), and
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340 million tons in 2012 (up 2.7% from 2011).
These figures indicate steady, though inconsistent, growth over the 2007–2013 period, with an average annual increase of approximately 4.1%.
Vietnam’s Lime Industry: Current Status and Export Trends
Vietnam’s lime industry remains largely undeveloped, with most production relying on manual kiln technology. Industrial-scale production is limited, with only 6–7 facilities operating kilns with a capacity of 150–200 tons per day. In contrast, most facilities operate manual kilns with batch capacities of just 5–7 tons or 15–20 tons per day.
Lime consumption within Vietnam is relatively low, owing to the economy’s emphasis on agriculture and light industry. As the country accelerates industrialization and modernizes its economic base with high-tech sectors, the domestic market for lime remains underdeveloped. As a result, much of Vietnam’s lime output is destined for export.
According to data from provincial construction departments and statistical yearbooks (2010–2012), as well as local development plans for building materials, Vietnam’s lime production experienced an average annual growth rate of approximately 28% between 2009 and 2012. Key export destinations during this period included South Korea, Taiwan, India, Thailand, and Myanmar.
Geographically, lime production and consumption are concentrated in the Red River Delta and the North Central and Central Coastal regions—areas rich in limestone resources.
However, the dominance of outdated manual kiln technologies has led to significant environmental pollution. This underscores the urgent need to transition toward industrialized, environmentally responsible lime production methods.
Toward a Modernized Lime Industry: Strategic Planning
The Ministry of Construction is currently formulating a comprehensive master plan for the development of Vietnam’s industrial lime industry through 2020, with a long-term orientation to 2030. This initiative aligns with Directive No. 02/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister, which aims to strengthen state oversight of mineral resource management—including exploration, extraction, processing, utilization, and export—while phasing out unregulated, environmentally harmful lime kilns.
Key targets of the plan include:
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Phasing out all batch-fired manual lime kilns by 2020,
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Eliminating all continuous manual kilns by 2025.
To achieve these goals, provincial and municipal authorities are instructed to suspend approvals for new lime production investments unless endorsed by the Ministry of Construction. Additionally, Investment Certificates issued without proper evaluation of mineral resource compatibility, technology level, environmental impact, or land-use planning—particularly those not aligned with Decision No. 45/QD-TTg (January 9, 2012)—will be subject to revocation.