Fishing boats return to Diêm Điền fishing port in Thái Thụy Commune in Hưng Yên Province after a trip offshore. VNA/VNS Photo Thế Duyệt

HƯNG YÊN — Hưng Yên Province has proposed the construction of a large-scale seaport in Diêm Điền capable of handling vessels of up to 200,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT).

Once completed, the port is expected to rival some of Southeast Asia’s leading seaports, expand the province’s maritime economic space and create a new growth engine for the locality and surrounding regions.

Currently, Diêm Điền Port, in Thái Thụy Commune, comprises several general-purpose berths totalling 149m in length, capable of receiving vessels of up to 3,000 DWT, with an annual cargo throughput of about 250,000 tonnes.

It also has an oil terminal 110m long with similar capacity, as well as anchorage and storm shelter areas that can accommodate ships of up to 60,000 DWT.

The Diêm Điền shipping channel is currently slated for upgrades to handle vessels of only up to 5,000 DWT, leaving its port infrastructure far below the area’s potential.

According to Hưng Yên People’s Committee Chairman Nguyễn Khắc Thận, the province aims to transform the former Thái Bình Economic Zone into a multi-sector economic hub, with Diêm Điền Port as a critical infrastructure component.

This vision, he noted, will require special policy mechanisms, integrated transport connectivity and the attraction of capable investors.

Under the master plan, the seaport complex will include the Diêm Điền, Trà Lý and Ba Lạt terminals, along with mooring buoys, transshipment zones and anchorage and storm shelter areas.

By 2030, the complex is expected to handle between 6.8 million and nearly 8 million tonnes of cargo annually, including around 20,000 TEUs of containerised goods. It will comprise 10–11 terminals with 12–13 berths, totalling nearly 2,500m in length.

The total investment needed for the seaport system through 2030 is estimated at over VNĐ11.2 trillion (US$440 million), of which nearly VNĐ8 trillion will go toward public maritime infrastructure and more than VNĐ3.3 trillion toward port facilities.

In addition to Diêm Điền, the Trà Lý terminal is planned to prioritise liquid/gas cargo facilities to serve the Thái Bình LNG power plant.

Previously, the Prime Minister tasked the Ministry of Construction with coordinating local authorities and relevant agencies to study and support the development of the Diêm Điền terminal so it can handle ships of up to 200,000 DWT.

The ministry has praised Hưng Yên’s vision for maritime economic development, particularly its focus on elevating the former Thái Bình Economic Zone into a regional economic powerhouse.

Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyễn Xuân Sang said the ministry supports Hưng Yên’s proposal and has assigned technical agencies to develop a feasible plan for submission to ministry leaders and the Prime Minister.

He added that the ministry also backs the broader plan to develop both land and water areas of the seaport system to meet future maritime transport demand.

Experts note that, if realised, the Diêm Điền seaport project would not simply expand existing facilities but transform the port from a modest operation into an international logistics hub, boosting import-export capacity, enhancing regional connectivity and easing the load on Việt Nam’s major ports. — VNS