HCMC – The Ministry of Transport has approved a VND1.4 trillion investment project to upgrade the Cai Mep-Thi Vai navigational channel.
The project is aimed at enhancing the port’s operational efficiency by developing a cluster of international gateway ports in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau to boost trade in the region.
The navigational channel from buoy No.0 to the upstream of the Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT) is designed for ships of 160,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) with a full load, 120,000 DWT vessels for two-way operation and ships 200,000 DWT/18,000 TEU (1 TEU = 20-foot container) offloaded or larger for one-way operation.
The section from upstream CMIT to upstream Tan Cang-Cai Mep International Terminal (TCIT) and Tan Cang-Cai Mep Container Terminal (TCCT) is designed for ships of 120,000 DWT with full cargo, vessels of 100,000 DWT operating two-way and ships of 160,000 DWT offloaded or larger ones for one-way operation.
The section from the upstream of TCIT and TCCT to the port of Phuoc An is designed for ships of 60,000 DWT full load or larger for one-way operation.
The project’s investment capital will be allocated from the State budget in the medium-term public investment plan for the period of 2021-2025.
It includes around VND1.1 trillion for construction, VND10.7 billion for project management, and VND39.7 billion for construction investment consulting.
The capital will be allocated in accordance with the project’s four-phase execution schedule, starting from 2022.
Once completed, the project is expected to encourage investment in the region and strengthen local socio-economic development, while also increasing revenue to the State budget to pay the yearly maintenance and dredging expenses.
The Vietnam Maritime Administration earlier proposed to renovate and upgrade the Cai Mep-Thi Vai fairway using the budget investment capital in 2018.
The administration said the navigational channel to the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port, which has a water depth of 14 meters, has prevented the massive ship from docking at the port.
As a result, when large ships arrive at the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port, the number of containers reaches 45%-50% of the vessel’s maximum capacity.
