Experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will begin a survey for the pre-feasibility report of the Lien Chieu Port construction project between July and November.

An oil tanker docks at Da Nang Bay near Hai Van Mountains in Da Nang.

Director of the city’s Planning and Investment Department Tran Phuoc Son confirmed to Vietnam News that the survey project will use 50 million Japan yen, or VND11 billion (US$468,000), from the non-refundable official development assistance (ODA) of the Japanese Government.

Son said JICA agreed to support Da Nang in implementing the survey and data collection for the Lien Chieu Port development plan.

He said the survey project was part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the data building and survey for the development of the port.

He said the department had sent a letter to ask for support from JICA in the planning of the port and related projects from 2019.

Following the MoU, JICA will help propose a master plan on port system development and surrounding zones in 2025-2040.

A traffic route connecting the port and the city’s current infrastructure will be included in the MoU. The construction of the Lien Chieu Port will probably be implemented under the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model.

In 2016-2018, Japanese consultants recommended that Da Nang deploys the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model for the first stage of the Lien Chieu Port.

The development of Lien Chieu Port is one of two key projects that aim to turn the central city into a main logistics centre in ASEAN and the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) that links Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

In 2018, the Government of Vietnam assigned the city for investment and construction of the Lien Chieu Port following the country’s master plan on seaport system in 2020.

According to a report by the city, Tien Sa Port, which has been overloaded with cruise and cargo ships, will be used as a major port for cruises only, while the Lien Chieu Port will handle cargo ships and be a main logistics centre for the north-south railway and road systems and the EWEC.

Da Nang, in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport, has been speeding up the pre-feasibility study on the construction of the Lien Chieu Port for operation in 2022.

The first stage of construction of Lien Chieu Port will focus on infrastructure, including piers, dykes, storage and transhipment services for handling 3.5 to five million tonnes of cargo in the first stage from 2022.

It 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) as well as 10,000DTW liquid cargo vessels.

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Huynh Duc Tho said the construction of the Lien Chieu Port in the first stage will need funds of VND7.37 trillion (US$326 million).

He said the city has been planned as an international-standard logistics centre for Vietnam, ASEAN and the Asia Pacific region by 2030.

Currently, the city’s seaport system handles 12 million tonnes of cargo each year.

According to the transport ministry, Da Nang will be able to handle 29 million tonnes of cargo by 2030.   

Da Nang is seen as one of the key gateways to the East Sea from the sub-Mekong region.