Da Nang port on December 15 hit the 7m tonne mark and handled its 300,000th container from cargo ship Willi, operating under the flag of Marshall Islands.

The cargo from vessel Willi helped Da Nang port in Da Nang City achieve its yearly plan.

Nguyen Huu Sia, general director of Da Nang Port Joint-Stock Company, said this was an important event that marking the port’s development efforts. In 2016, although the maritime industry was in recession, Da Nang Port still overcame many challenges to achieve positive results.

It is expected to unload 7.25 million tonnes of goods by the year-end, including 320,000 containers, up 13 per cent in terms of goods and 24 per cent in terms of containers, from 2015.

Sia also noted that in the fourth quarter 2016, the port completed the upgrading of dock number five, which now can receive cruise ships as large as the Genting Dream ship, one of the world’s largest luxury cruise ships, 335m in length and a capacity of 3,500 guests.

The port is planning the second phase of its Tien Sa Port with total investment of VND1 trillion (US$45 million) and is scheduled to be completed in early 2018. Upon completion, the port’s capacity will reach 10 million tonnes per year.

Da Nang Port began operations under the joint stock company on July 24, 2014, with registered capital of VND660 billion. It is one of the 12 businesses under the management of the Viet Nam Maritime Corporation that is being equitised in accordance with the corporation’s restructuring plan for the 2012-15 period, approved by the prime minister in 2013. — VNS