Containers being loaded at Cát Lái Port in HCM City. The city plans to relocate ports to outlying areas and build more of them to ease congestion on its roads. VNA/VNS Photo Danh Lam

HCM CITY — HCM City will continue to move its ports to its outskirts to ease congestion on roads outside them and build new ones under a national port master plan for 2020-30.

According to a city's reponse to the Department of Transport's proposals, a number of ports along the Sài Gòn River will be relocated or converted for other use under the plan by 2030.

It also outlined plans to expand Cát Lái Port on the Đồng Nai River to be able to berth ships of up to 30,000DWT.

It will get an additional 600m of wharf adjacent to Bến Nghé port in District 9.

Situated at the city’s eastern gate, Cát Lái has for long been a traffic hotspot with 16,000-17,000 trucks making trips to it daily.

In the case of ports on the Nhà Bè, the city will upgrade their wharves and modernise cargo handling equipment.

Since 2013 HCM City and the provinces of Đồng Nai and Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu have not licensed the construction of new ports or expansion of existing ones.

A number of ports have been relocated from the inner city, including Sài Gòn New Port in Bình Thạnh District, Ba Son shipyard in District 1 and Sài Gòn Port in District 4, partially.

Proposed Cần Giờ seaport 

City authorities are planning to build a port capable of handling container ships of up to 200,000DWT in the outlying district of Cần Giờ.

Under a port development plan for 2021-30, the city's Department of Transport suggested four locations in Cần Giờ District and the People’s Committee has approved three of them.

The first is in Bình Khánh Commune adjacent to the Lòng Tàu River and conveniently connected with the Bến Lức-Long Thành expressway, now under construction. It will spread over 250ha and be capable of berthing ships of 30,000-50,000DWT. 

The second is in Long Hòa Commune. The 150ha port will be capable of handling container ships of up to 150,000DWT and cruise vessels of 200,000GT.

The third is a port near Ông Chó Islet that can berth container ships of up to 200,000DWT. Its location is close to the Cái Mép-Thị Vải and Sài Gòn-Vũng Tàu navigation routes, and so will be able to receive large ships and serve as a specialised and trans-shipment point for inland water transport.

A location the city rejected, since it is too close to the Cần Giờ Biosphere Reserve, is close to the Lòng Tàu River in Thành An Commune. 

Recently Deputy PM Trịnh Đình Dũng approved the development of the port master plan as part of efforts to achieve sustainable development of the marine economy in the period through 2030.

It includes measures to improve the efficiency seaport investment and ensure simultaneous development of ports and other transport infrastructure.

According to the HCM City Maritime Port Administration, between 2015 and 2020, 166.3 million tonnes of goods passed through HCM City ports, whereas the target is only 159.9 million tonnes by 2030.

The country now has 44 ports, according to the Việt Nam Marine Administration. — VNS