Asia/Pacific News
New Vietnamese Port Eyes Bunker Traffic
An inauguration ceremony was held Tuesday for Vietnam's international seaport at Cam Ranh Bay, which has just seen the completion of its first phase of construction as part of a national push to transform the port into one of the country's top deep water ports, and a regional hub for maritime service, including bunkering, local media reports.
"We must promote the Cam Ranh international port to the world to attract major shipping brands to come to Cam Ranh for maintenance, repair, and refueling, including fresh water and food," said Vietnam's President Trương Tấn Sang at the ceremony.
A former military base, construction on the port is reported to have began in September 2014, with completion of the next phase expected to turn the port into one of largest ports in Vietnam for wharf length.
While a completion date for the second phase has not yet been announced, it is expected that the port will be able to handle 18 ships concurrently and accommodate vessels of up to 110,000 DWT, capable of receiving about 185 ships annually.
Investment in the port is reported to amount to VND2 trillion ($89.7 million), with PetroVietnam providing a quarter of the funding, Saigon New Port Corporation providing the rest.
It is reported that, during the 2016 year, the port will focus mainly on three sectors, which include maritime services, repair and maintenance services, and travel services.
