Proposal for a turning basin project in Lach Huyen, Hai Phong worth 386 billion VND

This project will help meet the increasing demand for ship rotation and transportation at Hai Phong seaport, ensure maritime safety and security, and increase the attractiveness and productivity of port operations in the region.

A corner of Lach Huyen port - Hai Phong.

The Maritime Project Management Board has just submitted a document requesting the Ministry of Transport to consider and approve the Investment Proposal Report for the Investment Project to build the Turnpike Project at Lach Huyen section of the Hai Phong maritime channel.

The project aims to help meet the increasing demand for ship rotation and transportation at Hai Phong seaport, ensure maritime safety and security, and increase the attractiveness and productivity of port operations in the region.

Based on the master plan for the development of Hai Phong seaport and the detailed plan for Lach Huyen wharf area, the scale of the Investment Project for Construction of Adjustment of Turning Basin at Wharf No. 1 and No. 2 of Lach Huyen Port Area is: moving the turning basin of Wharf No. 1 and No. 2 towards Cat Ba Island 1 by about 45m; expanding the diameter of the turning basin from 660m to 730m to be able to receive container ships with a tonnage of up to 100,000DWT full load, 160,000DWT reduced load and larger ship sizes with suitable parameters to serve ships returning and entering from Wharf No. 1 to Wharf No. 6 of Lach Huyen Port Area; establishing a slope protection embankment with a length of about 350m.

According to preliminary calculations, the total expected dredging volume at the Project is about 1.06 million m3; all dredged material will be sunk in a sea area about 30km from the dredging location.

According to reported data, the volume of goods passing through Hai Phong seaport in recent years has always achieved stable growth, each year higher than the previous year, about to reach the 3-digit mark of 100 million tons/year, specifically in 2023 reaching 97 million tons, overall in the period 2019-2023 the growth rate of goods passing through Hai Phong seaport reached 4%/year.

Contributing significantly to that growth is the impressive increase in cargo volume of Lach Huyen wharf area. Since its operation in 2018, the average growth rate of cargo volume through this area has reached approximately 30%/year (excluding cargo volume through 2018).

In 2023, the volume of cargo exploited at TC-HICT port reached a record of 1.27 million TEUs (115% of design capacity). In October 2023, the output through the Port reached 144,200 TEUs, the highest output in 1 month since it came into operation.

Statistics show that for the whole year, there were 1,104 ships entering and leaving the port to handle cargo, 552 ships returning to the turning basin of wharfs No. 1 and No. 2 (average 1.5 ships/day), the largest ship size entering and leaving the port to handle cargo had a tonnage of up to 145,000 DWT, May 2023 was a record month for receiving 61 ships entering and leaving the port (average more than 2 ships/day).

This shows the impressive growth in the volume of goods passing through, the bustling density of ships circulating in the area, all of which speak to the great attraction of a potential port area in the region. However, according to information from the port management unit HICT, regarding the maritime infrastructure of the area, currently the Lach Huyen turning basin is overlapping the water area of wharf No. 1 by about 45m, which means that when there are ships with a capacity of >100,000DWT or ships with a length of over 300m loading cargo at wharf No. 1, maritime safety for other ships will not be guaranteed at the turning basin.

Therefore, other ships must wait at anchorage areas in the Hon Dau area, or outside buoy number "0". Only when wharf number 1 is empty can they be towed into the turning basin to perform the turning operation.

That causes local congestion of shipping routes in the area, and significantly affects the production and business activities of the unit.

Meanwhile, berths No. 3 and No. 4 of Lach Huyen port of Hai Phong Port Joint Stock Company are under construction and are expected to start operating in late 2024 and early 2025, receiving container ships with a capacity of up to 100,000 DWT. Considering the long-term future, they can receive ships up to 12,000 TEUs (equivalent to 160,000 DWT) with reduced load to dock.

Berths No. 5 and No. 6 of Hateco Group Joint Stock Company are expected to begin operations in early 2025, receiving container ships of up to 12,000 teus (equivalent to 160,000 DWT) or larger up to 18,000 teus (equivalent to 200,000 DWT) with tonnage and technical specifications suitable for related infrastructure and meeting safety requirements.

Terminals No. 7 and No. 8 of Saigon Newport Corporation Limited Company were approved by the Prime Minister in principle for investment at the end of April 2023 with a terminal scale of 900m in length, receiving container ships with a capacity of up to 12,000 teus or larger up to 18,000 teus.

In addition, at berths No. 1 and No. 2, inspection and upgrade procedures are also being carried out to receive ships up to 160,000 DWT for operation.

Thus, in the near future when the ports are completed and put into operation, the volume of goods passing through will be very large, the volume of goods will increase, leading to an increasing density of ships and boats.

Therefore, the priority in the upcoming phase is to adjust the position and parameters of the turning basin at berths No. 1 and No. 2 of Lach Huyen towards Cat Ba Island by 45m, and at the same time expand the radius of the turning basin to create a water area safe enough for container ships with a capacity of up to 100,000 DWT fully loaded, 160,000 DWT partially loaded and larger ships with suitable parameters, which is really necessary and urgent.

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