Da Nang has officially put into operation the second stage of Tien Sa Port after two years of construction, bringing its total capacity to 12 million tonnes of cargo per year.

A cargo ship docking at the Tien Sa Port

General Director of Da Nang Port Joint Stock Company Nguyen Huu Sia told Viet Nam News that the second stage at Tien Sa Port had cost more than 1 trillion VND (44.2 million USD), of which 36% was funded by the company.

He said the second stage, which included two piers, would allow access to 70,000DWT (deadweight tonnage) ships, 4,000TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) container ships, and 150GT (gross tonnage) cruise ships.

Mr Sia said the port was a key hub in central Viet Nam and met international logistics standards in the region connecting the East-West Economic Corridor that links Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and Viet Nam.

According to the latest report, Tien Sa Port, 10km from the city centre, handled 4 million tonnes of cargo in the first 6 months this year, a 6.14% increase in comparison with the same period last year.

The port received on average 23 ships from 15 shipping agencies per week.

The expanded port will help build it into a leading international commercial gateway in the ASEAN region by 2025.

The Tien Sa upgrade is the city’s second investment project which did not use Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds after the Hoa Lien Water refused non-refundable ODA funds from Japan.

According to the Ministry of Transport, Da Nang’s port system, including Tien Sa, Lien Chieu and Son Tra, would handle 29 million tonnes of cargo by 2030. 

The city and the port of Kawasaki in Japan have been planning to open a shipping route connecting the two ports.

The Tien Sa Port will become a ‘valley’ of logistics, warehouses, transport and digital customer clearance services, besides housing representative offices of shipping companies and banks.

The port has operated as a limited company under the ownership of Viet Nam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) since 2008. 

(Source: VNS/ DA NANG Today)