The project to dredge and upgrade 46.5 kilometers of the Hau River andnearby canals in the Mekong Delta region was resumed on March 15 afteryears of suspension caused by capital shortage, the Saigon Times Dailyreported.
It is expected that big vessels can enter the deltaregion late next year to transport goods, according to the VietnamMaritime Administration as the project owner.
The project’sinvestment amount has been revised up to 9.781 trillion VND compared toaround 5 trillion VND estimated previously. Major components likebuilding a breakwater of 2.4 kilometers and dredging the river for shipsof 10,000-20,000 tonnes will be finished late next year.
Thesecond phase, to be executed after 2015, will include embankments alongthe Hau River and Chanh Bo Canal, a station for barges of 500 tonnes,roads along the waterways and connecting roads, and the signal system.
Theproject to dredge the waterway passage to the Hau River was firststarted 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.
Accordingto the Vietnam Maritime Administration, the volume of cargo transportedvia waterways in the Mekong Delta in 2012 was only 6.6 million tonnescompared to the demand of 30 million tonnes.
Up to 80% ofimport-export cargoes had to transit in Ho Chi Minh City before beingshipped to the buyer, since the Hau River waterway only allows forvessels of 5,000 tonnes, causing the transport cost to surge by 170-180USD a container.
Once the passage is completed, commodities from the Mekong Delta can be shipped directly overseas.
Inrelated news, Soai Rap waterway leading to Hiep Phuoc port complex insouthern Saigon is expected to open on April 19, slashing the time forvessels to enter the port complex, said the port operator.
NguyenNgoc Quynh, Deputy General Director of Saigon Premiere ContainerTerminal (SPCT), told the Saigon Times Daily that Soai Rap waterway willbe completed ahead of schedule earlier set for June 2014.
Thewaterway will cut by half the time needed to transport cargo into theport compared to the current passage via the Long Tau River, as well asto assist Ho Chi Minh City’s group of ports in taking larger vessels.
LongTau waterway is 8.5 meters deep compared to 9.5 meters of Soai Rap. TheSoai Rap dredging project aims to make Hiep Phuoc the main southerngateway, she added.
The project incorporates three phases. Thefirst one aimed to dredge the passage to a depth of 9.5 meters, allowingvessels of 30,000 to 50,000 tonnes to navigate. The second phasetargets 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 70,000tonnes.
Vessels from the East Sea and the Mekong Delta to Ho ChiMinh City via Soai Rap can shorten the distance, thus facilitating thecity’s maritime economy and stimulating development of other portsnearby.
“SPCT is the first foreign-invested terminal in Vietnamable to handle 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). It isalso connected to other ports such as Phuoc Long ICD, Dong Nai, and PhuHuu to support enterprises with barge services,” said Quynh.
Atthe moment, there are 11 international carriers using the services atthe 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 deltaregion late next year to transport goods, according to the VietnamMaritime Administration as the project owner.
The project’sinvestment amount has been revised up to 9.781 trillion VND compared toaround 5 trillion VND estimated previously. Major components likebuilding a breakwater of 2.4 kilometers and dredging the river for shipsof 10,000-20,000 tonnes will be finished late next year.
Thesecond phase, to be executed after 2015, will include embankments alongthe Hau River and Chanh Bo Canal, a station for barges of 500 tonnes,roads along the waterways and connecting roads, and the signal system.
Theproject to dredge the waterway passage to the Hau River was firststarted 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.
Accordingto the Vietnam Maritime Administration, the volume of cargo transportedvia waterways in the Mekong Delta in 2012 was only 6.6 million tonnescompared to the demand of 30 million tonnes.
Up to 80% ofimport-export cargoes had to transit in Ho Chi Minh City before beingshipped to the buyer, since the Hau River waterway only allows forvessels of 5,000 tonnes, causing the transport cost to surge by 170-180USD a container.
Once the passage is completed, commodities from the Mekong Delta can be shipped directly overseas.
Inrelated news, Soai Rap waterway leading to Hiep Phuoc port complex insouthern Saigon is expected to open on April 19, slashing the time forvessels to enter the port complex, said the port operator.
NguyenNgoc Quynh, Deputy General Director of Saigon Premiere ContainerTerminal (SPCT), told the Saigon Times Daily that Soai Rap waterway willbe completed ahead of schedule earlier set for June 2014.
Thewaterway will cut by half the time needed to transport cargo into theport compared to the current passage via the Long Tau River, as well asto assist Ho Chi Minh City’s group of ports in taking larger vessels.
LongTau waterway is 8.5 meters deep compared to 9.5 meters of Soai Rap. TheSoai Rap dredging project aims to make Hiep Phuoc the main southerngateway, she added.
The project incorporates three phases. Thefirst one aimed to dredge the passage to a depth of 9.5 meters, allowingvessels of 30,000 to 50,000 tonnes to navigate. The second phasetargets 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 70,000tonnes.
Vessels from the East Sea and the Mekong Delta to Ho ChiMinh City via Soai Rap can shorten the distance, thus facilitating thecity’s maritime economy and stimulating development of other portsnearby.
“SPCT is the first foreign-invested terminal in Vietnamable to handle 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). It isalso connected to other ports such as Phuoc Long ICD, Dong Nai, and PhuHuu to support enterprises with barge services,” said Quynh.
Atthe moment, there are 11 international carriers using the services atthe 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
