Central Vietnam hub Danang okays $1.7 bln mega container port project

The Danang city People’s Committee on Tuesday granted in-principle approval for the Lien Chieu container port project, with an estimated investment of VND45,000 billion ($1.7 billion).

Of the total, over VND9,053 billion will be equity capital contributed by the investors, and over VND36,214 billion will come from credit institutions.

Under the committee’s decision, the project will cover more than 172 hectares in Hai Van ward, including over 146 ha of land area and over 25 ha of water surface.

The total designed capacity of the port is approximately 5.7 million TEUs per year, equivalent to about 74 million tons annually. By 2030, the projected throughput capacity will reach between 14.25 and 36.3 million tons per year.

The port will include eight container berths with a total quay length of 2,750 meters, capable of accommodating container vessels up to 18,000 TEUs.

The container berths will be equipped with modern cargo-handling technologies and high levels of automation to ensure rapid vessel turnaround, high cargo handling efficiency, and optimal use of port infrastructure and land resources.

Dedicated barge berths will be built to accommodate vessels and barges up to 5,000 tons, facilitating cargo transshipment to/from other domestic seaports and inland waterways. This will help reduce road congestion, lower logistics costs, and enhance multimodal connectivity.

Directly behind the quay, a system of warehouses and container yards will be constructed, including areas for full, empty, refrigerated, and special containers, customs inspection yards, and stuffing/unstuffing zones.

The project will also include the construction of supporting infrastructure such as operations offices, service buildings, repair workshops, and technical facilities.

There will be a cargo handling and storage area for rail transport, ensuring direct connectivity between the port and the national railway network, a centralized truck yard for vehicles waiting to access the port, and a 1.5 km rail line connecting to Kim Lien Station.

According to the municipal People’s Committee, the project will be implemented in three phases. Phase 1 (Q4/2025-Q4/2028) will construct and put into use at least two berths (Nos. 1 and 2) and associated logistics areas and supporting infrastructure.

This phase will feature development of the railway area and truck yard, construction of railways, and dredging of the waters in front of the berths. It is scheduled for completion by Q4/2028.

In Phase 2 (Q1/2029-Q4/2032), berths Nos. 3 and 4 will be built, along with logistics and support infrastructure. It is expected to be operational in Q1/2033.

Phase 3 (Q1/2033-Q4/2035) will construct the remaining berths (Nos. 5 to 8), the barge terminal, and final support infrastructure. Further dredging and completion of the railway area and truck yard are also included. This phase is slated for operation from Q1/2036.

In May 2025, a consortium of investors including Hateco Group JSC, Hateco Seaport Co., Ltd., and APM Terminals B.V. (the Netherlands) submitted a proposal to develop the Lien Chieu container port.