The Da Nang government is urging the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to complete the Data Collection Survey on the Development of Lien Chieu Port, and proposed planning strategies for the Port and its surrounding areas for the 2025-2040 period by late this year. If everything goes on track as planned, the project will be lifted off the drawing board the better the sooner, and the construction is slated to commence next year.

An artist’s impression of the Lien Chieu Port project

The first stage of the much-awaited Lien Chieu Port is expected to cost about 3,426 billion VND (over 147 million US$). Of this, nearly 3 trillion VND is funded by the national government, whilst the remainder comes from the city budget and its medium-term plans for public investment during the 2021 – 2025 period.

Of the total capital, 2,995 billion VND will be spent on construction, whilst the rest will be earmarked for site clearance, project management, consulting and contingency.

The focus will be on developing shared infrastructure, including piers and dykes, container terminals and warehouses, developing areas of transport and logistics, equipment used for loading and unloading operations, and transshipment services for handling 3.5 to 5 million tonnes of cargo.

In detail, the port could allow access of cargo ships of up to 100,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) and container ships with loading capacities from 6,000 to 8,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEUs), plus 10,000DTW liquid cargo vessels.

A representative from JICA affirmed that this Japanese agency will focus on making proposals on developing the Lien Chieu Port into a modern one with the most advanced port management technologies, evaluating the financial feasibility of the project, clearly identifying public and private investment for the project.

Also, the building of a suitable route connecting the port with the city’s existing road infrastructure system will be taken into account.

The ultimate goal is to build a highly-competitive and capable logistics mega- port which can be on par with others nationwide.

A view of the planned area earmarked for the Lien Chieu Port project

Da Nang has been on right track to turn itself into an international-standard logistics centre for Viet Nam, ASEAN and the Asia Pacific region by 2030.

Currently, a combined total of 12 million tonnes of cargo are handled through local seaports every year, and the figure will reach 27.2 million tonnes by 2030, and 92.5 million tonnes by 2045.

Under the long-term plans, Tien Sa Port, built by the Americans in 1965, which has been overloaded with cruise and cargo ships, will be used as a major port for cruises only, while Lien Chieu Port will handle cargo ships and be a main logistics centre for the north-south railway and road systems and the EWEC.

Domestic experts affirmed that the Lien Chieu Port, which will be few times bigger than the existing 27-hectare Tien Sa, will help reduce traffic congestion, leading to faster delivery of goods. 

Likewise, an expert from Japan Port Consultants, said that Da Nang eventually will have to build the new port if it wants to be the next Busan in South Korea or the next Hong Kong.

By THANH LAN- Translated by A.T