Boosting Vietnam’s Trade Capacity

Challenge

Maritime cargo traffic in northern Vietnam was expected to increase to 56 million tons in 2010, and to 110 million to 130 million tons in 2020. Such demand would exceed the cargo handling capacity of both Haiphong and Cai Lan ports, presenting an urgent need to boost the cargo handling capacity of ports serving maritime trade in northern Vietnam.

Facing this situation, the government of Vietnam conducted a feasibility study on Lach Huyen Port Infrastructure Construction Project at Cat Hai Island, Haiphong city. Vietnam then requested the government of Japan to provide JICA official development assistance (ODA) loans to the project to put into force the development plan proposed in its feasibility study stage.

The following were the major subjects reviewed in the feasibility study:

• Refine the implementation plan concerning the future development plan of Lach Huyen Port Infrastructure Construction
• Review the port development plan from not only technical and financial standpoints, but also natural and social environmental standpoints
• Examine the feasibility of the project

The Vietnamese government sought and received assistance from JICA to carry out preparatory surveys, studies, and project formulation plans. JICA and Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport signed a deal for developing the port and its access road and bridge.

OC Global was entrusted by JICA with preparing a medium-term development plan for Lach Huyen port infrastructure for 2020. The plan identified the scope of the project to be implemented under JICA ODA loan financing from 2015. We were also assigned responsibility for preparing the detailed design and tender documents for the appointment of construction contracts.
The following services were among the preparatory works OC Global performed:

• Analysis and review of present conditions including natural conditions surveys
• Demand projection for the year 2015 and 2020, evaluating possible cargo shift to Lach Huyen port
• Reclamation at terminal and access road area including soil improvement work
• Study of navigational safety of new navigation channel, and channel dredging and disposal
• Channel sediment analysis and countermeasures against channel sedimentation
• Formulation of a physical development plan for the year 2020 and detailed design of the project for the year 2015 together with the preparation of tender documents for construction
• Evaluation of environmental aspects of the projects

As a result of the services provided above, our design and tender documents provided for the following main works:

• Land reclamation with earth retaining wall and revetment for the container terminal, public area and access road
• Dredging an access channel and port basin together with a sand protection dyke extending offshore
• Construction of service boat berths