An oil tanker docks at Đà Nẵng Bay near Hải Vân Mountains in Đà Nẵng. The Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) will support Đà Nẵng in making a survey and planning on the construction of Liên Chiểu Port. — VNS Photo Công Thành

ĐÀ NẴNG — Experts from the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) will begin a survey for the pre-feasibility report of  the Liên Chiểu Port construction project between July and November.

Director of the city’s Planning and Investment Department Trần Phước Sơn confirmed to Việt Nam News that the survey project will use 50 million Japan yen, or VNĐ11 billion (US$468,000), from the non-refundable Official Development Assistance (ODA) of the Japanese Government.

Sơn said JICA agreed to support Đà Nẵng in implementing the survey and data collection for the Liên Chiểu Port development plan.

He said the survey project was part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the data building and survey for the development of the port.

He said the department had sent a letter to ask for support from JICA in the planning of the port and related projects from 2019.

Following the MoU, JICA will help propose a master plan on port system development and surrounding zones in 2025-40.

A traffic route connecting the port and the city’s current infrastructure will be included in the MoU. The construction of the Liên Chiểu Port will probably be implemented under the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model.

In 2016-18, Japanese consultants recommended that Đà Nẵng deploys the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model for the first stage of the Liên Chiểu Port.

The development of Liên Chiểu Port is one of two key projects that aim to turn the central city into a main logistics centre in ASEAN and the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) that links Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Việt Nam.

In 2018, the Government of Việt Nam assigned the city for investment and construction of Liên Chiểu Port following the country’s master plan on seaport system in 2020.

According to a report by the city, Tiên Sa Port, which has been overloaded with cruise and cargo ships, will be used as a major port for cruises only, while Liên Chiểu Port will handle cargo ships and be a main logistics centre for the north-south railway and road systems and the EWEC.

Đà Nẵng, in co-operation with the Ministry of Transport, has been speeding up the pre-feasibility study on the construction of the Liên Chiểu Port for operation in 2022.

The first stage of construction of Liên Chiểu Port will focus on infrastructure, including piers, dykes, storage and transhipment services for handling 3.5 to five million tonnes of cargo in the first stage from 2022.

It could allow access of cargo ships of up to 100,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) and container ships with loading capacities from 6,000 to 8,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEUs) as well as 10,000DTW liquid cargo vessels.

Chairman of Đà Nẵng City’s People’s Committee Huỳnh Đức Thơ said the construction of Liên Chiểu Port in the first stage will need funds of VNĐ7.37 trillion ($326 million).

He said the city has been planned as an international-standard logistics centre for Việt Nam, ASEAN and the Asia Pacific region by 2030.

Currently, the city’s seaport system handles 12 million tonnes of cargo each year.

According to the transport ministry, Đà Nẵng will be able to handle 29 million tonnes of cargo by 2030.   

Đà Nẵng is seen as one of the key gateways to the East Sea from the sub-Mekong region. — VNS