After eight years of construction, Long An International Port officially connected its seven berths on June 24, reports Seatrade Maritime News.
New container handling service
With the launch of its new container handling service, Long An set its sights on the next phase of its expansion – building out to 10 berths including a cruise berth and specialised liquefied petroleum gas berth.
“I would like to express my delight on behalf of the employees of Long An International Port as we officially welcome the first container vessel to our port with an impressive operational performance,” said Peter Hendrik Slootweg, CEO of Long An International Port Operation & Management JSC
“We are ready in terms of operational capacity and equipment to handle containers safely and efficiently. We plan to reach 1,000,000 teu by 2030 and handle 10m tons of general cargo through the port.”
The port is part of a large scale Long An regional development project comprising the 147-hectare port, a 396-ha industrial park, 239 ha industrial services area, and 1,145 ha urban area.
Target to support 1,000,000 TEU capacity
During its construction, the port handled vessels of uup to 70,000 dwt and recorded throughput of 2m tons and 2.2m tons in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The launch of its container services in June 2023 adds to its existing capacity for agricultural and aquatic products, fertilizers, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, and super-long and super-heavy items, it said.
The port has so far invested in six ship-to-shore (STS) and 18 rubber tyre gantry (RTG) cranes from Mistui in Japan. “Further investments will aim to constantly upgrade equipment towards the target of supporting 1,000,000 TEU capacity,” said the port.
Nguyen Minh Lam, member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Long An Province, said during his keynote speech at the inauguration event: “The development of Long An International Port perfectly fits the strategy of developing and completing the transport infrastructure connecting the province with the surrounding areas, thereby optimizing logistics costs for businesses investing in Long An Province and the Mekong Delta, Long An International Port has contributed to solving logistics problems and is one of the driving forces for economic development in the Mekong Delta.”
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Source: Seatrade Maritime News
