The design of HCM City’s planned Cần Giờ international container transhipment port project. — Photo www.baogiaothong.vn

HCM CITY — HCM City’s planned Cần Giờ international container transhipment port project has been proposed to be added to a master plan for developing Việt Nam's seaport system by 2030.

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) is collecting opinions from relevant ministries and agencies on supplementing and adjusting the master plan for developing Việt Nam's seaport system in the period of 2021-30, with a vision to 2050.

The Cần Giờ international container transhipment port project is also being proposed as one of the priority infrastructure projects to be implemented by 2023.

According to the Việt Nam Maritime Administration, scenario planning is developed in line with the spirit of the Politburo's resolutions on socio-economic development of regions and localities, meeting the development targets of each region and each locality.

The adjustment of the master plan is necessary to ensure compliance with the National Master Plan and the country’s current socio-economic development needs.

When the Cần Giờ international transhipment port is completed, seaports in HCM City will meet the criteria for the classification of special seaports according to the new provisions of the revised Việt Nam Maritime Code in 2015.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, two seaport systems in HCM City and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province are targeted to become the special seaports of the Southeast region, serving as international transhipment points or international gateway ports.

MoT has agreed with the HCM City People's Committee on the need to set up an outline of a research project to build the Cần Giờ international transhipment port and carefully evaluate the impact of the project.

With a total investment of about US$6 billion, the project is being studied by the Vietnam Maritime Corporation (VIMC) and the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) - the world's second-largest container shipping company.

The project has a designed capacity of 15 million TEUs. The two sides are working hard with foreign partners to finalise plans for investment and operations.

This project is a complement to the Cái Mép–Thị Vải seaport system, not a competition to weaken the existing seaport system.

By taking advantage of the deep water channel at the Cần Giờ estuary, construction of the port is expected to maximise the role of seaport group No. 4 comprising five ports in HCM City and the southern provinces of Đồng Nai, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Bình Dương and Long An.

It is not only meaningful for the benefits of the seaport but also enhances the competitive advantage of the Southeast region, creating more attractiveness for foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows.

According to statistics from VIMC, in 2021, the volume of container goods passing through the country's ports, mainly in HCM City, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province and Hải Phòng City, was 23.9 million TEU, but international transhipment was relatively low.

In 2015-2020, the volume of goods passing through HCM City's ports grew by an average of 7.3 per cent a year, and it is expected to fall to 5 per cent in 2021-25.

In 2021, the volume was 164.2 million tonnes against a target of 116.9 million tonnes and even higher than the target for 2030 of 160 million tonnes. 

The construction of container ports is imperative to meet HCM City’s trading needs. — VNS