In late July 2016, the Da Nang Port Company started the second phase of its implementation of the Tien Sa Port expansion project in a bid to make it a modern container port in the central region.

Loading cargo at the Tien Sa Port

One completed by mid-2018, the over 1,069 billion VND project is expected to be able to receive 70,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) container ships and handle 12 million tons of cargo in total every year.

To date, the project’s basic construction has been already completed. On 22 January, the Tien Sa Port welcomed 65,000-ton MSC Lirica cruise ship, with a total of 1,800 passengers and crew members on board.

These positive signs have helped the city promote the development of its logistics services, and realise its goal of making the Da Nang Port the leading logistics centre in the central region.

Da Nang Port General Director Nguyen Huu Sia said that the expansion project will cover an area of 60,000m², raising the Tien Sa Port’s total area to about 31ha. As part of the project, two new piers, measuring 310m and 210m in length, are under  construction for docking container ships. They will be equipped with 2 quay container cranes and synchronous technical infrastructure to ensure the effective operation of the Port.

He added that his company had used money from its available funds (36%) and from its shareholders (33%), along with loans (31%) instead of using non-refundable ODA funds to minimise possible risks and stay active in its financial plans. After nearly 2 years of using the such funds, the project is considered to be quite successful.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Da Nang Port Company, Mr Tran Le Tuan, said that over 95 % of the construction work has been completed to date. Meanwhile, the building of new piers, the installation of cranes and the dredging of the Tien Sa Port's entrance channel and area for ships to turn round are nearly completed.

Mr Tuan highlighted the significance of the expansion project in ensuring the effective operation of the city’s transport network by 2020 with a vision towards 2030. He noted that the project matches with marine economy development strategies of Da Nang, and Viet Nam as a whole. The project will help to make the Da Nang Port a logistics hub in the central region and highlands, and an important gateway for logistics service supply chains to countries along the East-West Economic Corridor route.