by position.vn 
In northern Vietnam, the country’s seaport system is poised for significant investment opportunities as leading global maritime conglomerates seek partnerships with domestic enterprises for multi-billion dollar port projects.
Recently, the White House announced that the port operating company SSA Marine (Seattle, USA) and Gemadept Corporation (Vietnam) intend to collaborate on strategic port projects in southern Vietnam, including mutual interest in developing the Cai Mep Ha Logistics Center valued at $6.7 billion. Once completed, the Cai Mep Ha superport will become the largest logistics hub in the country, representing one of several billion-dollar superport proposals in Vietnam.
Numerous proposals for mega-ports are underway. Cai Mep Ha Port (also known as Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port), situated at the mouth of the Cai Mep and Thi Vai rivers in Ba Ria – Vung Tau province, holds significant exploitation advantages but has yet to become an international transshipment port.
The initial project, planned with a zoning ratio of 1/2,000 over approximately 1,800 hectares, includes two main zones: the Logistics Center and the downstream Cai Mep Ha Port. Subsequently, the project was adjusted to expand to 2,200 hectares to accommodate the world’s largest cargo ships, transforming the area into a regionally and globally significant transshipment port.
With its scale and strategic location on Vietnam’s maritime map, the Cai Mep Ha superport has attracted not only the attention of the Gemadept-SSA Marine joint venture but also the interest of other major players such as Geleximco-ITC Consortium, Besix-Boskalis-Hateco Consortium, IMG Innovations, Tan Dai Duong International Import-Export Corporation, Sun Group, Saigontel, and Saigon Newport Corporation.
The proposed international transshipment port in Can Gio, endorsed by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, is also promising. Located at the mouth of the Cai Mep River, surrounded by the Thi Vai and Thue rivers, the port’s design allows for mother ships of up to 250,000 tons, with a capacity of approximately 16.9 million TEUs. The project, with an estimated investment of $5.45 billion, covers a total port area of 571 hectares and nearly 478 hectares of water surface. It is divided into seven phases, with the first phase scheduled for operation in 2027 and full completion by the end of 2045.
According to evaluations by Ho Chi Minh City authorities, Can Gio Port’s proximity to international shipping routes through the South China Sea could reduce transportation distances for Southeast Asian regional goods passing through the area by approximately 30-70% compared to shipments to Singapore, with handling costs also reduced by 40-54%.
The world’s largest shipping company, MSC, has shown great interest in the project and desires to participate in investment cooperation, as well as actively collaborate with Vietnamese enterprises (Vietnam Maritime Corporation – VIMC) for research and investment.
The proposed Tran De Port in Soc Trang province has also garnered attention from various entities. With a total area of approximately 5,400 hectares, the project’s total investment is projected to reach 51.32 trillion dong by 2030 and 145.283 trillion dong by 2050.
The port will be capable of accommodating container ships exceeding 100,000 tons, serving as the gateway to the Mekong Delta region. Investing in this port cluster will help alleviate the current situation where a significant portion of Mekong Delta goods are transported to ports in Ho Chi Minh City, incurring additional costs for businesses.
Adani Group (India) is also advancing studies and investments in the seaport area in Lien Chieu (Da Nang) with an investment of around $2 billion, including infrastructure investments to handle general cargo, bulk cargo, liquid/gas, and containers.
Similarly, in mid-2022, Xuan Thien Nam Dinh Corporation proposed the construction of Xuan Thien Nam Dinh Port with an estimated investment of up to 35 trillion dong (equivalent to nearly $1.5 billion). The Vietnam Maritime Administration has received the company’s dossier and is reviewing the project.
Hundred of Billions of Dong Needed for Investment
According to the Ministry of Transport’s report on completing the “Detailed Planning of Seaport Groups, Ports, Wharves, Floating Wharves, Water Areas, and Water Regions for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050”, the total investment demand for the seaport system until 2030 is approximately 312.625 trillion dong.
Of this, the capital investment demand for public maritime infrastructure is over 70 trillion dong, and the demand for port wharves exceeds 242 trillion dong. This phase also calls for investments in port wharves at potential seaports such as Van Phong and Tran De. By 2030, investments will be made in the starting wharf area of Nam Do Son Wharf (Hai Phong), ports in the Cai Mep Ha area, downstream of Cai Mep Ha, and the Tran De wharf area (Soc Trang).
According to the Ministry of Transport’s statistics, as of October 2022, the country has 296 port wharves with approximately 107 kilometers of wharf bridges (five times that of 2000). Additionally, international gateway ports have been established in the northern and southern regions, successfully receiving container ships of up to 145,000 tons at Lach Huyen Port (Hai Phong) and up to 214,000 tons at Cai Mep Port.
Regarding investment sources in the maritime sector, non-budget investment capital mobilization during the 2011-2020 period amounted to approximately 173.4 trillion dong, roughly 86% of the total investment capital. Many leading global conglomerates have established joint ventures in Vietnam for the construction and operation of seaports.
For instance, DP World from the United Arab Emirates (operator of the world’s 5th largest port) invested in SPCT port (Ho Chi Minh City), SSA Marine (9th largest port operator globally) invested in SSIT port (Ba Ria – Vung Tau), APMT from Denmark (2nd largest port operator globally) invested in CMIT port (Ba Ria – Vung Tau), and shipping companies MOL and NYK invested in Lach Huyen port (Hai Phong)…
