Hai Phong seaport is increasingly affirming its position as one of the three largest seaports in Vietnam, ranking in the top 50 largest seaports in the world.
Preparing for a new period of development
According to the assessment of seaport experts, Hai Phong is the locality with the fastest seaport development speed in the country. With the increasing number and area of warehouses, ports investing in many modern equipment, high scale and cargo handling speed, Hai Phong seaport is increasingly affirming its position as one of the three largest seaports in Vietnam, ranking in the top 50 largest seaports in the world.
The investment project to build container terminals No. 3 and 4 of Hai Phong Lach Huyen International Gateway Port is a project with potential speed. The project was approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 1323/QD-TTg dated October 9, 2019, with Hai Phong Port Joint Stock Company as the investor. The project started construction in July 2022, including 2 main wharves with a length of 750 m, capable of receiving ships with a tonnage of up to 160,000 DWT, 1 barge wharf of 150 m, meeting the cargo throughput of 1.1 million TEU/year.
Up to now, the construction of wharves 3 and 4 has been basically completed, ready for inauguration and operation in April 2025. With auxiliary items, the completion of the forward yard behind wharf 3, the auxiliary gate as well as the water supply, drainage, power supply, fire prevention and fighting systems... continue to be completed to be ready to receive ships entering and leaving the port to load goods from the end of March. Mr. Ngo Trung Hieu - General Director of TIL International Port Company Limited Hai Phong Port: "To be ready for the operation and exploitation of modern deep-water ports, we have identified synchronous investment in infrastructure, equipment, and port operation software as one of the key solutions to improve the quality of the logistics service chain. Accordingly, the information technology system and port operation management software are the most modern software available today".
“On the other hand, the equipment and vehicles serving the exploitation at berths No. 3 and No. 4 include 6 STS cranes, 24 RTG cranes, 50 specialized tractor trucks and semi-trailers, 2 45-ton container forklifts, and 1 shell container forklift. Up to now, the STS and RTG cranes are manufactured in Japan and have been transported, installed, and transferred the operating techniques by the partner on schedule, ready to put into operation phase 1 next April,” Mr. Ngo Trung Hieu added.
Next is the project to invest in the construction of 2 container berths No. 5 and No. 6 at Lach Huyen Port Area, Hai Phong City, invested by Hateco Group. The project can receive 18,000 TEU container ships when put into operation. This will be a modern container port area according to the approved planning, meeting the needs of exporting and importing goods from the Northern region directly to the European and American markets. Maximizing the advantages of natural conditions and geographical location to develop Dinh Vu - Cat Hai Economic Zone (seaport system, logistics and industrial park after the port) to promote the socio-economic development of Hai Phong city in particular and the Northern region in general.
Strong push
Hai Phong is the locality with the fastest seaport development speed in the country with the output of goods through the port growing in the top group. To date, the City's seaport system includes 5 main wharf areas with 52 seaports, 98 wharves, about 14,178.5m long. Of which, the most prominent is Lach Huyen International Gateway Port with the capacity to receive container ships up to more than 200,000 DWT.
In the period of 2018-2023 alone, the volume of goods passing through the port in the city reached 761.1 million TEU, an increase of 85.8% compared to the period of 2014-2018. Currently, Hai Phong port enterprises have more than 100 maritime service routes to many countries and territories around the world.
It is known that the new ports will be built with modern equipment, advanced port operation software systems to help optimize productivity, save human and material costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In particular, with the information technology system including TOS management software, Smart Gate and container status check points deployed synchronously, contributing to making this place a smart and modern deep-water port of Hai Phong in particular and the whole country in general.
On the other hand, the Lach Huyen ports will help attract large shipping lines to dock, contributing to increasing cargo throughput through the Hai Phong seaport area. However, when welcoming large shipping lines with high cargo throughput through the port, it also puts pressure on Hai Phong in the management, operation, and coordination of maritime activities on the maritime routes of the Port City. Therefore, port operators and management agencies must quickly come up with appropriate solutions and mechanisms to ensure traffic safety at sea as well as stable exploitation.
Mr. Bui Nguyen Khoi - Director of Hai Phong Maritime Port Authority said: “We have developed plans and scenarios for safe and reasonable traffic management when ports No. 3, 4, 5, 6 of Hai Phong International Gateway Port are put into operation, ensuring no traffic congestion in the Dinh Vu and Cam River areas. In addition, we also coordinate with the Northern Maritime Safety Corporation, the Northern Maritime Pilotage Company Limited and related units to implement solutions to improve the efficiency of maritime channel exploitation. On the other hand, the port authority actively advises and proposes the city to recommend the Ministry of Construction and the Vietnam Maritime Administration to soon implement the investment project to build a turning basin and maritime channel division in Lach Huyen section approved in the coming time”.
Previously, during a field survey led by Minister of Transport (now Ministry of Construction) Tran Hong Minh at Lach Huyen port area, a representative of Hateco Group proposed that the Ministry of Construction and Hai Phong City People's Committee soon organize an inauguration ceremony to officially introduce and promote the image and position of Hai Phong seaport on the international maritime map. From there, it will open up opportunities to connect Hai Phong seaport with modern seaports around the world.