The project to dredge and upgrade 46.5 kilometers of the Hau River and nearby canals in the Mekong Delta region was resumed on March 15 after years of suspension caused by capital shortage, the Saigon Times Daily reported.
It is expected that big vessels can enter the delta region late next year to transport goods, according to the Vietnam Maritime Administration as the project owner.
The project’s investment amount has been revised up to 9.781 trillion VND compared to around 5 trillion VND estimated previously. Major components like building a breakwater of 2.4 kilometers and dredging the river for ships of 10,000-20,000 tonnes will be finished late next year.
The second phase, to be executed after 2015, will include embankments along the Hau River and Chanh Bo Canal, a station for barges of 500 tonnes, roads along the waterways and connecting roads, and the signal system.
The project to dredge the waterway passage to the Hau River was first started in late 2009 and was scheduled for completion in 2012. However, the project was put off due to financial problems.
Due to the importance of the passage, the Ministry of Transport had petitioned the Government to resume work on the project.
According to the Vietnam Maritime Administration, the volume of cargo transported via waterways in the Mekong Delta in 2012 was only 6.6 million tonnes compared to the demand of 30 million tonnes.
Up to 80% of import-export cargoes had to transit in Ho Chi Minh City before being shipped to the buyer, since the Hau River waterway only allows for vessels of 5,000 tonnes, causing the transport cost to surge by 170-180 USD a container.
Once the passage is completed, commodities from the Mekong Delta can be shipped directly overseas.
In related news, Soai Rap waterway leading to Hiep Phuoc port complex in southern Saigon is expected to open on April 19, slashing the time for vessels to enter the port complex, said the port operator.
Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, Deputy General Director of Saigon Premiere Container Terminal (SPCT), told the Saigon Times Daily that Soai Rap waterway will be completed ahead of schedule earlier set for June 2014.
The waterway will cut by half the time needed to transport cargo into the port compared to the current passage via the Long Tau River, as well as to assist Ho Chi Minh City’s group of ports in taking larger vessels.
Long Tau waterway is 8.5 meters deep compared to 9.5 meters of Soai Rap. The Soai Rap dredging project aims to make Hiep Phuoc the main southern gateway, she added.
The project incorporates three phases. The first one aimed to dredge the passage to a depth of 9.5 meters, allowing vessels of 30,000 to 50,000 tonnes to navigate. The second phase targets a depth of 11 meters, handling ships of 50,000 to 70,000 tonmes. The last is 12 meters in depth, accommodating vessels of over 70,000 tonnes.
Vessels from the East Sea and the Mekong Delta to Ho Chi Minh City via Soai Rap can shorten the distance, thus facilitating the city’s maritime economy and stimulating development of other ports nearby.
“SPCT is the first foreign-invested terminal in Vietnam able to handle 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). It is also connected to other ports such as Phuoc Long ICD, Dong Nai, and Phu Huu to support enterprises with barge services,” said Quynh.
At the moment, there are 11 international carriers using the services at the port. SPCT in 2003 saw a throughput of 250,000 TEUs, or nearly 25% of the capacity of the port.
“As Soai Rap is widened, the port’s operating costs will drop significantly and transit will be easier,” added Quynh.-VNA
It is expected that big vessels can enter the delta region late next year to transport goods, according to the Vietnam Maritime Administration as the project owner.
The project’s investment amount has been revised up to 9.781 trillion VND compared to around 5 trillion VND estimated previously. Major components like building a breakwater of 2.4 kilometers and dredging the river for ships of 10,000-20,000 tonnes will be finished late next year.
The second phase, to be executed after 2015, will include embankments along the Hau River and Chanh Bo Canal, a station for barges of 500 tonnes, roads along the waterways and connecting roads, and the signal system.
The project to dredge the waterway passage to the Hau River was first started in late 2009 and was scheduled for completion in 2012. However, the project was put off due to financial problems.
Due to the importance of the passage, the Ministry of Transport had petitioned the Government to resume work on the project.
According to the Vietnam Maritime Administration, the volume of cargo transported via waterways in the Mekong Delta in 2012 was only 6.6 million tonnes compared to the demand of 30 million tonnes.
Up to 80% of import-export cargoes had to transit in Ho Chi Minh City before being shipped to the buyer, since the Hau River waterway only allows for vessels of 5,000 tonnes, causing the transport cost to surge by 170-180 USD a container.
Once the passage is completed, commodities from the Mekong Delta can be shipped directly overseas.
In related news, Soai Rap waterway leading to Hiep Phuoc port complex in southern Saigon is expected to open on April 19, slashing the time for vessels to enter the port complex, said the port operator.
Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, Deputy General Director of Saigon Premiere Container Terminal (SPCT), told the Saigon Times Daily that Soai Rap waterway will be completed ahead of schedule earlier set for June 2014.
The waterway will cut by half the time needed to transport cargo into the port compared to the current passage via the Long Tau River, as well as to assist Ho Chi Minh City’s group of ports in taking larger vessels.
Long Tau waterway is 8.5 meters deep compared to 9.5 meters of Soai Rap. The Soai Rap dredging project aims to make Hiep Phuoc the main southern gateway, she added.
The project incorporates three phases. The first one aimed to dredge the passage to a depth of 9.5 meters, allowing vessels of 30,000 to 50,000 tonnes to navigate. The second phase targets a depth of 11 meters, handling ships of 50,000 to 70,000 tonmes. The last is 12 meters in depth, accommodating vessels of over 70,000 tonnes.
Vessels from the East Sea and the Mekong Delta to Ho Chi Minh City via Soai Rap can shorten the distance, thus facilitating the city’s maritime economy and stimulating development of other ports nearby.
“SPCT is the first foreign-invested terminal in Vietnam able to handle 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). It is also connected to other ports such as Phuoc Long ICD, Dong Nai, and Phu Huu to support enterprises with barge services,” said Quynh.
At the moment, there are 11 international carriers using the services at the port. SPCT in 2003 saw a throughput of 250,000 TEUs, or nearly 25% of the capacity of the port.
“As Soai Rap is widened, the port’s operating costs will drop significantly and transit will be easier,” added Quynh.-VNA
