27 January 2024

The plan for the maintenance of maritime structures in 2024 with a total budget of over 1,800 billion VND will be carried out to ensure the reception of large-tonnage vessels entering specialized ports for the transportation of goods.

Several maritime routes will undergo dredging and maintenance in the near future - Illustrative image

The Vietnam Ministry of Transport has approved the plan for the maintenance of maritime structures in 2024 with a total budget of about over 1,800 billion VND to accommodate large-tonnage vessels.

Accordingly, there are two sections of routes to be dredged and maintained, completed within 2024, including the Hai Phong route in 2022-2025 (sections of Ha Nam Channel, Bach Dang) and the Rach Gia route.

In the 2024-2025 period, 12 route sections will be dredged and maintained, including the Hai Phong route (Lach Huyen section), Hai Phong route (Song Cam section, Cai Trap Channel), Hon Gai-Cai Lan, Pha Rung, Cua Hoi-Ben Thuy (Cua Hoi section), Cua Viet, Cua Gianh, Soai Rap, Sai Gon-Vung Tau, maritime route for large-tonnage vessels into the Hau River, Phan Thiet, Ba Ngoi.

In addition, some maritime routes will continue to be implemented in 2023-2024, including:

• The Hai Phong route in 2023 (Lach Huyen section) with a budget for 2024 of about 342.9 billion VND
• Diem Dien (2024 budget approximately 45.9 billion VND)
• Hai Thinh (2024 budget approximately 15.3 billion VND)
• Cua Lo (2024 budget approximately 48.2 billion VND)
• Hon La (2024 budget approximately 17.5 billion VND)
• Thuan An (2024 budget approximately 12.6 billion VND)
• Da Nang (2024 budget is 36 billion VND).

Furthermore, more maritime routes will continue to undergo dredging and maintenance, including:

• Sa Ky (2024 budget approximately 13.9 billion VND)
• Soai Rap (2024 budget approximately 425 billion VND)
• Sai Gon-Vung Tau (2024 budget approximately 227.1 billion VND)
• Maritime route for large-tonnage vessels in the Hau River (2024 budget approximately 528.7 billion VND)
• The dredging and maintenance project of the Sai Gon-Vung Tau route for the 2022-2024 period will also continue to be implemented with an investment budget of over 20.5 billion VND in 2024.

To ensure the effective implementation of the plan, the Vietnam Maritime Administration is tasked with organizing the implementation of the plan to ensure quality, economic and technical efficiency, progress, and compliance with legal regulations; implementing the investment decision-making authority for the planned projects that have been approved.

The Vietnam Maritime Administration is also required to establish and report to the Ministry of Transport detailed progress in the implementation of the 2024 maritime structure maintenance plan for periodic inspections, monitoring during the implementation process; synthesizing and reporting periodically, unexpectedly, the results of the plan implementation as required by regulations.

In parallel, the Administration must continue to strengthen state management, inspect, supervise, guide relevant agencies and units to implement the plan, especially the inspection and supervision of dredging waste disposal, depth measurement during the implementation of projects as prescribed by law.

At the same time, the Ministry of Transport has assigned the Infrastructure Department to take the lead in synthesizing and advising the leadership of the ministry in organizing, implementing, inspecting, adjusting, supplementing the plan in a timely, effective, and legally compliant manner.

Earlier, in mid-October 2023, the Northern Maritime Safety Assurance Company announced that the Consortium of Limited Liability Company One Member Long Hai - My Dung Mechanical Limited Liability Company had won Package No. 6 for dredging and transporting dredged material to dump at the Hai Phong Maritime Route Maintenance Project in 2022-2023 (Lach Huyen section); The winning bid price is nearly 244 billion VND.

According to the Vietnam Maritime Administration, the project will dredge to the designed depth of -13.3m and start dredging from the area of ​​berths 1 and 2 of the Hai Phong International Container Terminal (HICT) to buoy area 0. The total dredging volume is estimated at about 2 million m3 and is permitted to be dumped into the sea.

It is known that the Hai Phong seaport regularly receives large-tonnage vessels. Therefore, to ensure safety, the Hai Phong Maritime Port Authority has directed specialized departments to coordinate closely with standards, port enterprises to implement multiple solutions such as regular dredging, maintenance of maritime routes, entrances, turning basins, and water areas in front of the port to ensure the designed depth for safe navigation and mooring of vessels.

At the same time, use the VTS (vessel traffic management) system to monitor, regulate vessels; only allow vessels with suitable tonnage, length, and draft to enter and leave the port; choose the time of high tide, low flow rate, and low wind speed to plan for vessel entry and exit.

Source: VNExpress