Quang Ninh Seaport: Connecting to reach far

Ha Long International Passenger Port.

Take advantage of the sea

Quang Ninh is currently one of 28 provinces and centrally-run cities with sea; 9/13 localities in the province have sea. This is one of the advantages promoting the development of the marine economy in general and the seaport economy in particular. However, seaport activities and seaport services in Quang Ninh have not created competitive attraction, there are still shortcomings, such as: The seaport system and connecting traffic infrastructure are not synchronous; the management of seaport and seaport service enterprises is weak, with poor competitiveness; human resources are still lacking, and the quality is not high; ... leading to budget revenue from the seaport and seaport services sector not being commensurate with the potential and advantages of Quang Ninh.

To strengthen the capacity of seaport infrastructure, improve the quality of seaport services to gradually make seaport services a sector that contributes increasingly to GRDP growth and budget revenue, the Provincial Party Committee has issued Resolution No. 15-NQ/TU on "Developing seaports and seaport services in the province by 2025, with a vision to 2030".

Ao Tien high-class port (Van Don Economic Zone).

According to Associate Professor Dr. Bui Dinh Thien, former Director of the Vietnam Economic Institute, the issuance of a resolution on the development of seaports and seaport services in Quang Ninh province in 2019 was really necessary, reasonable and suitable for the province's conditions. The resolution determined the right direction, with continuing to promote investment attraction, strongly developing the system of new seaports and improving and enhancing the capacity of existing seaports to continuously attract businesses to handle goods.

Along with effectively utilizing existing seaports that have been invested in before, such as Cai Lan Port, Cua Ong Port, Hon Gai Port, Km6 Port... for transit and import and export of goods, Quang Ninh province also promotes and attracts investors to strongly develop a system of ports serving tourism, service and trade activities. Typically: Tuan Chau Group invests in Tuan Chau International Passenger Port; Sun Group invests in Ha Long International Passenger Port; Mai Quyen Tourism Company Limited invests in Ao Tien High-class Port. These existing ports have been creating positive values ​​in the circulation of goods, transporting tourist groups to visit and relax on Ha Long Bay, especially welcoming many international cruise ships, bringing international groups to Quang Ninh for sightseeing and experience.

Import and export activities at Cai Lan port (Ha Long city).

In the past 5 years, the total volume of goods through ports in Quang Ninh province reached about 627.7 million tons, an average of 124.1 million tons/year; the total volume of sea transport passengers (tourists passing through the port) is expected to reach 293,247 passengers; the total number of sea and island tourists is expected to reach 43.3 million passengers; the total revenue from seaport services is expected to reach nearly 26,000 billion VND; The contribution ratio of seaport services to the province's economic growth is higher each year than the previous year (about 0.43% in 2019; about 0.43% in 2020; about 0.47% in 2021; about 0.49% in 2022; about 0.51% in 2023; about 0.58% in 2024; expected to be about 0.69% in 2025).

Increasing port capacity

According to Mr. Le Quang Trung, Deputy General Director of Vietnam National Shipping Lines at the 2023 Quang Ninh Logistics Conference, although Quang Ninh has a coastline running along the province, the mechanisms and policies to support businesses investing in seaport infrastructure and seaport auxiliary infrastructure as well as supporting ship owners, cargo owners, and port owners to open freight routes to and from the province have not been implemented synchronously, drastically and in depth; solutions to connect, consume, deliver, and transport goods from other localities to Quang Ninh through seaports have not had many innovations, and some ports have not yet operated at full capacity.

In fact, in Quang Ninh at present, most of the ports are general ports, if any, they are only transit ports, exporting bulk cargo (coal, clinker, wood chips), there are not many container ports with large cargo reserves. Recognizing these limitations and facing the economic growth target of over double digits in the 2025-2030 period, firmly in the new era of national development, Quang Ninh province is actively implementing solutions to improve the capacity of the seaport system in the area, especially prioritizing the development of large ports.

B12 Petroleum Port (Ha Long City).

Van Ninh general port (phase 1) in Mong Cai city, invested by Van Ninh International Port Joint Stock Company, is being strongly supported by all levels and sectors of the province to implement investment. Van Ninh general port is invested and built on an area of ​​82.79 hectares, in Van Ninh commune (Mong Cai city) with a total investment of phase 1 of over 2,248 billion VND. The port is designed with a main wharf of 500m long, which can simultaneously dock 2 ships with a capacity of up to 20,000DWT or 3 ships with a capacity of 10,000DWT and dock barges at the back; build 180m of barge wharf inside, adjacent to the shore; build 3 access bridges... The warehouse area is invested synchronously, equipped with modern infrastructure to best meet the requirements of handling general cargo and containers.

Up to now, the port has completed 85% of the first phase of the cargo staging area, completed 93% of the first phase of the wharf, completed the 560kVA/0.4kV transformer station and energized it. According to Mr. Ho Quang Huy, Chairman of Mong Cai City People's Committee, in addition to supporting the investor to resolve difficulties and problems related to the source of filling materials, the locality also proposed that the Provincial People's Committee allocate provincial budget funds to Mong Cai City to invest in the road connecting Ha Long - Van Don - Mong Cai expressway with Van Ninh port. This road is currently preparing to be completed, contributing to connecting and promoting logistics activities through the port.

Cargo ships at Con Ong - Hon Net port area (Cam Pha city).

Quang Ninh province is also actively promoting and attracting investment in Con Ong - Hon Net port (Cam Pha city), effectively serving logistics activities. This project has been thoroughly studied by relevant units, identified as a group 1 seaport with many outstanding advantages compared to other port clusters in the Northern region. With a water flow of -7m to -13.4m, this area is less affected by big waves because it is located in Bai Tu Long Bay and is less prone to sedimentation, convenient for loading and unloading, and transporting goods.

Con Ong - Hon Net Port is included in the master plan for the development of Vietnam's seaport system for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 1579/QD-TTg (dated September 22, 2021). It is expected that Con Ong - Hon Net Port will have a general wharf, container, bulk cargo, liquid and gas cargo; receiving ships with a capacity of 100,000-200,000 tons or larger to load and unload goods. In order to create favorable conditions to attract and support the implementation of the Con Ong - Hon Net port project, Quang Ninh province has directed relevant departments, branches and sectors to study and invest in a traffic route connecting the port with National Highway 18 and Ha Long - Van Don Expressway.

Mr. Pham Xuan Dai, Head of the Provincial Economic Zone Management Board, said: The unit actively supports and accompanies investors in implementing investment in the port system in the Quang Yen coastal economic zone, notably the Nam Tien Phong Industrial Park port project invested by Deep C. The port system here, when invested, ensures transit, storage, import and export of goods, serving all activities of the industrial zones in the Quang Yen area, thereby contributing to reducing logistics costs of enterprises.

Perspective of Van Ninh general port (Mong Cai city).

Along with the seaport infrastructure, the province also develops key seaport services, the province's strengths, such as: Warehousing and warehouse leasing services, loading and unloading of goods; freight transport services with the aim of converting many areas into satellite centers of seaport services, creating attraction and growth momentum. Up to now, there have been 17 enterprises participating in cargo loading and unloading activities by sea, an increase of 9 enterprises compared to 2018. Of which, 2 shipping enterprises have registered their names in the prestigious private shipping fleet nationwide, namely Hai Nam Company Limited and Viet Thuan Transport Company Limited.

Currently, Hai Nam Company Limited has 12 ships (6 ships with a capacity of 31,000-53,000DWT running international - Asia routes; 6 ships with a capacity of up to 29,000DWT running domestic routes); 5 inland waterway vehicles with VR-SB class with a capacity of up to 23,785DWT running domestic routes. Viet Thuan Transport Company Limited has 17 ships with a capacity of over 10,000-76,000DWT, running international routes (Indonesia, China, Philippines...) and domestic routes in Quang Ninh, Dung Quat, Vung Ang, Duyen Hai, Vinh Tan, Can Tho... Meanwhile, Viet Thuan Transport Company Limited has developed into Viet Thuan Group, a strong multi-industry economic group, with a total fleet and watercraft capacity of approximately 1 million tons, annual transport output of tens of millions of tons, and a total charter capital of thousands of billions of VND. Viet Thuan Group has been listed in the FAST500 - Top 500 fastest growing enterprises in Vietnam in 2022 with the 44th rank, being the No. 1 enterprise in the fastest growing inland waterway transport industry in Vietnam.

With the proposed solutions, the port system in Quang Ninh is expected to effectively serve all activities of transit, gathering, warehousing, import and export of goods, logistics; pick up and drop off passengers, etc., creating a new growth momentum for the province, joining the whole country in entering an era of growth.

Manh Truong

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/cang-bien-quang-ninh-vuon-ra-bien-lon-3354613.html