Vietnam’s Lach Huyen Port is embarking on an ambitious expansion, and they have placed an order with the Japanese shipyard, Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding, for 30 cargo handling cranes. This significant procurement was facilitated by the Port of Haiphong Joint Stock Company (CHP), a subsidiary of Vietnam Marine Corporation (VIMC), as they continue to develop the container terminal in the Lach Huyen area within Hai Phong, a city in the northern region of Vietnam. It’s worth noting that this project represents one of the early public-private partnerships between the governments of Vietnam and Japan.
The order encompasses six Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes and 24 Rubber-Tired Gantry (RTG) cranes. The STS cranes have an impressive 65-meter outreach and are designed to handle large container vessels, some of which exceed 15,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU). This procurement marks one of the most substantial crane orders ever for CHP in its Haiphong port complexes.
This isn’t Mitsui’s first collaboration with CHP. They have a history of delivering cargo handling cranes, with the most recent delivery dating back to 2007, as part of Japan’s official assistance to Vietnam. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is actively involved in the planning, design, and construction of the new Lach Huyen Port.
The concept for Lach Huyen International Port was initially introduced in 2013 as part of Vietnam’s 2020 Seaport Development Plan. It is intended to serve as an extension of the Port of Haiphong, which has witnessed a growing demand for containerized cargo over the years. The new terminal is strategically designed to accommodate large container vessels, thus enabling direct exports from Northern Vietnam to the United States and European markets without the need for transshipment ports in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Situated on Cat Hai Island, the Lach Huyen Port is connected to mainland Vietnam via a sea bridge and access roads. The port’s development is progressing in phases, with the first two container terminals already operational since 2018. The third and fourth terminals are currently under construction and are scheduled for commissioning by 2025, as previously announced by CHP. The recent procurement of cargo cranes serves as a testament to the project’s adherence to the planned schedule.
In parallel, Maersk is collaborating with Vietnam’s HATECO to establish two additional deepwater berths at Lach Huyen, with the capability to accommodate vessels of up to 18,000 TEU. In its initial phase, the facility will feature five STS cranes and 14 RTGs, further enhancing the port’s capabilities and capacity.
(Source: The Maritime Executive)
