Groundbreaking ceremonies for an international gateway port in the northern city of Hai Phong were held earlier this month, the port expected to boost Vietnam’s attempt to be a major shipping hub.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung headed the ceremonies on April 14 kicking off the construction of the Hai Phong International Gateway Port under the Vietnam 2020 seaport development plan, according to a report by Nhan Dan Online.
The port is considered one of the country’s key infrastructure projects that will play a part in transforming Vietnam into a strong sea nation once completed in 2016.
It will have modern cargo-handling equipment and can receive container ships with a capacity of up to 8,000 TEUs (20-foot-equivalent units). The core infrastructure will be built in the Lach Huyen port area in Cat Hai island district, according to a detailed plan that took nine years to prepare.
Prime Minister Nguyen said the port will expand the capacity of the city to handle demand as the existing Hai Phong port has become overloaded.
The US$1.2-billion project is divided into two phases. The first one covers the building of the port and will be managed by the Vietnam Marine Administration.
The second phase is a joint venture between Vietnamese and Japanese enterprises and entails erecting two wharves with a total length of 750 meters capable of handling 100,000-tonne container ships.
Once operating, the gateway port will provide direct links between the country’s northern region and the U.S. and European markets, bypassing the ports of Singapore and Hong Kong.
Photo: yunguyen666
