[ferro-alloys.com]China's Panhua Group plans to set up a 10 million mt/year integrated steel manufacturing plant in the Phividec Industrial Estate of the Misamis Oriental-Special Economic Zone, the Philippines' Department of Trade and Industry said late Tuesday.

A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Panhua, Phividec and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority for the $3.5 billion project that will include an industrial park and other downstream industries spanning 305 hectares, the department said in a statement.

"The three-phase project is expected to be completed in 6 to 7 years," the department said. "DTI, through its attached agency PEZA, is committed to assisting Panhua in accomplishing these succeeding steps to immediately set up the steel plant early next year."

After signing the MOU, "Panhua will proceed to obtain a PEZA registration and an environmental compliance certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and to sign a memorandum of agreement to begin the construction of the project," it added.

Panhua is "optimistic about building more industrial parks to increase employment and attract businesses into the provinces of the Philippines," Panhua's chairman Xinghua Li said in the statement.

（S&P Global Platts）

• [Editor:王可]