The state-owned Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) said Tuesday it plans to start building the first two wharves of the deep-water port at Van Phong Bay in the central province of Khanh Hoa in October. Vinalines said it has finished work on the sand-bar at the construction site for the start-up phase of the project, which aims to develop the international transhipment port to serve Asian trade. Last month, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung instructed that the project be accelerated. Duong Chi Dung, chairman and general director of Vinalines, said the start-up phase of Van Phong’s first two berths has been delayed because the shipping line changed the original design to receive up to 9,000 TEU (twenty foot equivalent unit) ships.
Van Phong port was originally planned to receive 6,000-TEU ships only. Many port experts, however, suggested developing Van Phong port to facilitate up to 15,000 TEU ships. After building the first two berths, Vinalines said it will build others which are capable of handling 12,000- 15,000 TEU ships, with a long-term vision for new wharves receiving container ships of up to 18,000 TEU, the world’s largest container vessel.
Van Phong port was originally planned to receive 6,000-TEU ships only. Many port experts, however, suggested developing Van Phong port to facilitate up to 15,000 TEU ships. After building the first two berths, Vinalines said it will build others which are capable of handling 12,000- 15,000 TEU ships, with a long-term vision for new wharves receiving container ships of up to 18,000 TEU, the world’s largest container vessel.