HCMC – The HCMC government has requested relevant agencies to prepare a plan to develop the Can Gio international transshipment port which will be submitted to the Prime Minister for approval this year, reported the local media.

The project, aiming to attract international container transshipments to Vietnam, will satisfy the urgent needs of HCMC and Southeast Asia.

With a prime location at the Cai Mep river mouth in close proximity to international shipping lanes, Can Gio Port can accommodate container vessels of 250,000 DWT operating on the routes connecting Asia with Europe, Africa and America.

Earlier, the Ministry of Transport assigned the HCMC People’s Committee to prepare a study on building the Can Gio international transshipment port, which could be conducted in parallel with the adjustment of the master plan on developing Vietnam’s port system.

To expedite the project, the HCMC authorities requested the Saigon Port Joint Stock Company to flesh out the plan and the Department of Transport to coordinate with relevant agencies to determine the affected forest area of the plan.

Besides, coordination with the Vietnam Maritime Administration is needed to calculate the domestic cargo volume to be shifted to the Can Gio transshipment port from the existing container terminals such as Cat Lai, Phu Huu, Hiep Phuoc and the Saigon River port area.

The Can Gio International Transshipment Port will be constructed with a 7.2-kilometer berth that can accommodate container vessels of up to 24,000 TEUs. The port would have a designed capacity of 10-15 million TEUs of cargo and require a total estimated cost of US$6 billion.

The project will commence its first phase among seven phases in 2024 and be put into service in 2027.