Representatives from Long An International Port and some other ports in Mekong Delta provinces also inked strategic partnership agreements on the sideline of the ground-breaking ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Binh

The Dong Tam Group held an inauguration ceremony for the first phase of the Long An International Port project in Tan Tap Commune, Can Giuoc District, the southern province of Long An late last week.

Construction for the second phase of the port also began the same day.

The 147ha port is being developed in three phases with total investment of nearly VND10 trillion (US$430.7 million). It is designed to have seven wharves able to receive ships of up to 70,000 DWT. More than 400,000 square metres at the port has been arranged to build warehouses, serving the transportation of farm produce, steel, fertiliser and other products in the Mekong Delta.

The port project is seen as key to reducing traffic congestion and logistics costs in Long An and the Mekong Delta.

Construction has been completed for three wharves with a total length of 630 metres. As of 2019, Long An International Port received nearly 1,000 domestic and foreign ships (including many 50,000DWT ships), with about 1 million tonnes of goods imported and exported through it.

This year, the Dong Tam Group is building wharves No 4 and 5, and striving to put them into operation in 2021.

The project investor is working on legal procedures to expand the port and build two other wharves, at an undisclosed date, that would be able to receive 100,000DWT ships.

This would increase the total number of wharves to nine, and their combined length to 2,368 metres, making it one of Viet Nam's longest international ports. — VNS