Containers being loaded at Cat Lai Port in HCM City. The city plans to relocate ports to outlying areas and build more of them to ease congestion on its roads. (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City will continue to move its portsto its outskirts to ease congestion on roads outside them and build new onesunder a national port master plan for 2020-2030.
According tothe city's response to the Department of Transport's proposals, a numberof ports along the Sai Gon River will be relocated or converted for other useunder the plan by 2030.
It alsooutlined plans to expand Cat Lai Port on the Dong Nai River to be able to berthships of up to 30,000DWT.
It will getan additional 600m of wharf adjacent to Ben Nghe port in District 9.
Situated atthe city’s eastern gate, Cat Lai has for long been a traffic hotspot with16,000-17,000 trucks making trips to it daily.
In the caseof ports on the Nha Be, the city will upgrade their wharves and modernise cargohandling equipment.
Since 2013 HCMCity and the provinces of Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tau have not licensed theconstruction of new ports or expansion of existing ones.
A number ofports have been relocated from the inner city, including Sai Gon New Port inBinh Thanh District, Ba Son shipyard in District 1 and Sai Gon Port in District4, partially.
ProposedCan Gio seaport
Cityauthorities are planning to build a port capable of handling container ships ofup to 200,000DWT in the outlying district of Can Gio.
Under a portdevelopment plan for 2021-30, the city's Department of Transport suggested fourlocations in Can Gio District and the People’s Committee has approved three ofthem.
The first isin Binh Khanh Commune adjacent to the Long Tau River and conveniently connectedwith the Ben Luc-Long Thanh expressway, now under construction. It will spreadover 250ha and be capable of berthing ships of 30,000-50,000DWT.
The secondis in Long Hoa Commune. The 150ha port will be capable of handling containerships of up to 150,000DWT and cruise vessels of 200,000GT.
The third isa port near Ong Cho Islet that can berth container ships of up to 200,000DWT.Its location is close to the Cai Mep-Thi Vai and Sai Gon-Vung Tau navigationroutes, and so will be able to receive large ships and serve as a specialisedand trans-shipment point for inland water transport.
A locationthe city rejected, since it is too close to the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, isclose to the Long Tau River in Thanh An Commune.
Recently,Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung approved the development of the port master plan aspart of efforts to achieve sustainable development of the marine economy in theperiod through 2030.
It includesmeasures to improve the efficiency seaport investment and ensure simultaneousdevelopment of ports and other transport infrastructure.
According tothe HCM City Maritime Port Administration, between 2015 and 2020, 166.3 milliontonnes of goods passed through HCM City ports, whereas the target is only 159.9million tonnes by 2030.
The countrynow has 44 ports, according to the Vietnam Marine Administration./.
VNA
