Seaport planning focuses development on 6 main port clusters
Update at 09-04-2022
In the afternoon of October 7, the Ministry of Transport held a conference to announce the master plan for the development of Vietnam's seaport system in the period of 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050.
Lach District International Port in Hai Phong. Photo credit: Duc Nghia/TTXVN
Accordingly, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Can said that the implementation of the plan will be focused on 6 main port clusters.
Specifically, the No. 1 port cluster will focus on upgrading the Hai Phong seaport system. Make The Port of Lach District become a port serving containers separately. Dinh Vu Port - Forbidden River is continued to maintain and serve the industrial park in the area. Bulk goods, liquid goods, gas goods, orientation will be transferred to The Southern Do Son area, Van Australia.
"Especially for Nam Do Son wharf, Van Australia, this is a breakthrough point in this planning. The planned and formed wharf will not only promote the development of industrial zones/clusters south of the Hanoi - Hai Phong expressway but will be the driving force for industrial development in the whole adjacent Thai Binh province; at the same time, the infrastructure connecting to the northern seaport area will also be more favorable when there is a 4th Ring Road in Hanoi and the system of inland waterways and inland waterways along the Soul River", Minister Nguyen Van Can said.
The second potential port cluster is Thanh Hoa. With the advantage of having Tho Xuan airport, Nghi Son economic zone is thriving and a series of transport projects have been studied and implemented such as: North - South expressway, North - South high-speed railway. The Hanoi - Vientiane expressway can connect to seaports, ports in Thanh Hoa and the North Central region with complete breakthrough potential.
Meanwhile, the third port cluster is identified as Da Nang with the advantage of the closest connection to South Laos, Northern Cambodia, connecting Indochina Junction 3 through Thailand. Along with Da Nang International Airport, the North-South high-speed railway and the North-South expressway pass through, Da Nang port cluster will be an economic driver, attracting regional development investment.
The fourth is khanh Hoa seaport cluster with Van Phong area with extremely favorable natural advantages with a flow depth of up to -17m, -18m, which can be the largest gateway port in Vietnam. To develop this port cluster, a highway connecting Van Phong connecting the Central Highlands to Van Phong, Khanh Hoa will be a potential area to develop the port cluster, gradually turning the area into a dynamic region of the Central Highlands.
The fifth is Cai Mep - Thi Vai is a port cluster that is highly expected in this period with an open opportunity when a series of highway projects are being considered for implementation such as Bien Hoa - Vung Tau; Ring Road 3, Belt 4 ho Chi Minh City, Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway, Ho Chi Minh City - Chong Thanh expressway via Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Ho Chi Minh City highway - Moc Bai.
The port cluster no. 6 is Tran De port. Currently, the Mekong Delta has Can Tho International Airport, developed waterways, road systems but only Cai Cui port, limited capacity to receive ships. Regional goods want to be exported to Europe, the US must return to seaports in Ho Chi Minh City and Cai Mep - Thi Vai, the cost of transportation is too large.
Therefore, Minister Nguyen Van Can assessed, the planning has determined to study and form Tran De port along with Can Tho - Tran De, Can Tho - Chau Doc, Can Tho - Ca Mau plus Can Tho International Airport, mekong delta area will be industrialized, modernization.
In order for the seaport planning to be effectively implemented, Minister Nguyen Van Can proposed ministries and sectors to support the transport sector with mechanisms and policies to continue completing the detailed planning of seaport groups, road development, inland waterways, railways and aviation to better link seaports,
The head of the transport sector also said that he would propose a specific mechanism for the Prime Minister to consider signing and promulgating for investors to access capital, creating a "playground" for socialized capital to invest in seaports, creating a development premise for the country.
According to Minister Nguyen Van Can, in 2020, the Ministry of Transport has focused on developing 5 master plans of the transport sector under the new Planning Law.
"Despite the pressure, in the history of the transport industry, no planning stage has been done as well as this period. Instead of each field of planning at a different time as before, this time, the planning of 5 areas is implemented at the same time to help the assessment of the potential and strengths of each field be more effective, in accordance with more practical conditions"
At the conference, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Xuan Sang said that the master plan for the development of Vietnam's seaport system in the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050 is one of two national specialized plans (along with road network planning) approved by the Prime Minister at the earliest.
The plan was approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 1579/QD-TTg dated September 22, 2021. This is a very important document, concretizing socio-economic development strategies, strategies for developing the marine economy into life, contributing to meeting the needs of the country's development in the period of 2021-2030.
"The plan identifies seaports as an important part of maritime infrastructure, socio-economic infrastructure, is one of the three strategic breakthrough stages, it is necessary to prioritize investment in synchronous and modern development, promoting the advantage of being the main method of transporting large-volume goods, It plays an important role in international freight.
Of the 5 types of transport infrastructure, seaports are prioritized to choose the location, other types will connect seamlessly based on the advantages of each method in each transport corridor.
The plan also prioritizes international gateway seaports and large-scale seaports serving the socio-economic development of the country or interregional; international passenger terminals associated with the driving areas of tourism development; large-scale ports serving economic zones and industrial parks," Deputy Minister Sang said.
According to the newly approved plan, vietnam's new seaport system will be divided into 5 groups instead of 6 seaport groups as in the previous period.
The plan defines the target by 2030, vietnam's seaport system will meet through cargo volume from more than 1.1 billion tons to more than 1.4 billion tons; of which, container cargo from 38 to 47 million TEU; passengers ranged from 10.1 to 10.3 million passengers.
In the period up to 2050, develop a synchronous and modern seaport system on par with the region and the world with the capacity to meet demand through goods with an average growth rate of about 4-4.5% per year; Passengers grew by an average of 1.2-1.3% per year.
In particular, resources for seaport development in this period are mainly mobilized from non-budget sources accounting for 95% of the total VND 313,000 billion in demand for seaport investment capital. Budget capital will focus on public infrastructure, key areas, creating spread and attracting investment.
