Trung Nam Ca Na seeks to convert agri-forest land for $147 mln industrial park in central Vietnam

Industrial park developer Trung Nam Ca Na is seeking approval to convert about 170 hectares of agricultural and forest land for the construction of a VND3,875 billion ($147 million) project in Vietnam’s central coastal province of Khanh Hoa.

According to the company’s environmental impact assessment submitted to local authorities for the phase-one Ca Na industrial park, the proposed conversion includes 135 hectares of salt-production land operated by Ca Na Ninh Thuan Salt JSC, 17 hectares held by local households, and a piece of protection forest.

The project, covering 135 hectares, will be financed by 15% equity and 85% loans, according to the feasibility study. Authorities said the affected forest area consists mainly of bare land and grass, with no natural forest cover.

Due to its partial use of protection forest and proximity to Quan The stream, the project has been classified as environmentally sensitive. The developer pledged to adopt measures to control waste, noise, and water quality, ensuring compliance with environmental and labor safety standards during construction.

Listed as a key infrastructure project in the local industrial development plan, Ca Na industrial park is envisioned as a coastal industrial, service, and logistics hub to spur economic growth in Vietnam’s south-central region.

Khanh Hoa was recently merged with neighboring Ninh Thuan into the new Khanh Hoa province.

According to the Khanh Hoa Economic Zone Management Authorities, in the first nine months of this year, the province's industrial parks and economic zone lured 17 newly-invested projects totalling VND76.8 trillion ($2.92 billion) in registered capital.