The White House has recently announced that SSA Marine in Seattle and Vietnam’s Gemadept are considering joining forces to develop strategic seaports in the south of Vietnam, including a joint interest in developing Cai Mep Ha Logistics Center worth $6.7 billion.

Once completed, Cai Mep Ha super-port would become Vietnam’s largest logistics center. This is just one of a series of super-ports worth more than one billion dollars being proposed in Vietnam. 

Cai Mep Ha, or Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port is located at the Cai Mep and Thi Vai river mouth in Ba Ria - Vung Tau. Despite great advantages, the port is yet to become an international transshipment port.

Under the first plan, the port development project would cover an area of 1,800 hectares and comprise two parts – the logistics center and Cai Mep Ha Downstream Harbor. Later, the project was adjusted and the total area of the port has been raised to 2,200 hectares to receive large-tonnage vessels, turning it into a transshipment port of regional and international stature.

With the large scale and the important strategic position on Vietnam’s maritime map, Cai Mep Ha Super-port is also being eyed by many other big players, such as Geleximco-ITC, Besix-Boskalis-Hateco, IMG Innovations, Tan Dai Duong International Import-Export, Sun Group, Saigontel and Tan Cang Sai Gon Corporations.

Meanwhile, the HCM City People’s Committee has called for investment in Can Gio international transshipment port. It is located at the Cai Mep estuary, surrounded by Thi Vai and Thue Rivers. The port is designed to receive mother vessels of up to 250,000 tons and capacity of 16.9 million TEU.

The total investment capital of the project is estimated at $5.45 billion, while the total harbor area is 571 hectares and surface water area 478 hectares. The project will be implemented in seven phases, with the first phase expected to be put into operation in 2027. The project would be completed by 2045.

Can Gio Port is near international maritime routes across the East Sea and Southeast Asian goods, if going through the area, could shorten the distance by 30-70 percent compared with going through Singapore, while the loading cost could also be cut by 40-54 percent.

MSC, the world’s largest shipping firm, is working with the Vietnam Maritime Corporation on a plan to invest in the port.

Meanwhile, Soc Trang province wants to develop Tran De Port. Covering an area of 5,400 hectares, the project is expected to have investment of VND51.320 trillion by 2030 and VND145.283 trillion by 2050.

The port is designed to be able to receive container ships of over 100,000 tons and become the gateway of Mekong River Delta. Currently, the majority of goods from Mekong River Delta have to be carried to ports in HCM City, thus causing high costs to enterprises. Tran De Port will help solve the problem.

Indian Adani Group is carrying out the study and considering injecting money into the ports in Lien Chieu in Da Nang City. With expected capital of $2 billion and big investment in technical infrastructure, the port would be able to handle general cargo, bulk cargo, liquid/gas cargo and containers.

In mid-2022, Xuan Thien Nam Dinh JSC proposed the development of a port in Nam Dinh. Sources said that the project, capitalized at VND35 trillion ($1.5 billion) is being considered by the Vietnam Maritime Bureau.

The Ministry of Transport, (MOT) in its report on completing the detailed planning of seaports, harbor, quay, floating wharf and water area for 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050, estimated that total investment capital for the seaport system to 2030 is VND312.625 trillion. Of this, the capital for public maritime infrastructure is VND70 trillion, and the capital for habors is VND242 trillion.

Investment has also been called for the harbors at potential seaports in Van Phong and Tran De. It is expected by 2030.

According to MOT, as of October 2022,  296 harbors with 107 kilometers of wharf, five times higher than in 2000, were operating. 

DP World from UAE has shown attention to SPCT (port in HCMC), SSA Marine to SSIT Harbor (HCM City), Denmark’s APMT to CMIT (Ba Ria - Vung Tau), and MOL, NYK to Lach Huyen Harbor (Hai Phong).

Huy Le