Vietnamese EV car maker applies for environmental clearance
CHENNAI: VinFast Auto India, a Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer, has applied for environmental clearance (EC) for starting production in Tamil Nadu and set up its Phase-1 plant in SIPCOT Industrial Estate in Sillanatham in Thoothukudi.
According to an application sent to Tamil Nadu State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), VinFast had earlier applied for Consent to Establish (CTE) from Tamil
Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), but the TNPCB directed the firm to obtain environmental clearance before applying for CTE.
The application for clearance was submitted on May 27 and it’s in the stage of ‘under examination’. Once the SEIAA clears the application, it will be forwarded to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for approval.
The Phase-1 manufacturing plant will come with a built-up area of 96,432 sq metres with a total area of 113.69 acres. It may be noted that the Tamil Nadu government and VinFast entered into MoU during the Global Investors Meet (GIM) held in Chennai in January. The plant will come up at Rs 425 crore.
The entire plant will be constructed on 380 acres at Rs 4,000 crores of initial investment.
“VinFast and the State Government will work toward a investment of up to $2 billion, with an intended commitment of $500 million for the first phase, spanning five years from the commencement date. This move indicates a significant step in VinFast’s expansion into the world’s third-largest vehicle market,” a VinFast press release had said.
Also, it is estimated that VinFast plant in Thoothukudi, with an annual production capacity of up to 1.50 lakh EVs, will provide employment 3,000-3,500 people from the locality. The Phase-1 plant will alone produce 50,000 EVs. As per the proposal, the construction of Phase-1 plant will commence in January 2025 and end by December 2028. Also, the plant area will have a green belt of 9.76 hectares and 60,000 trees will be planted.