The Largest Seaport in Vietnam
In May 2023, The Government Newspaper reported: The World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence have released the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) ranking for 348 global container ports.
The CPPI is calculated based on factors such as vessel turnaround time, port productivity, and total cargo volume. Additionally, two other factors are taken into consideration: vessel size and digitalization.
Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port ranks 12th in the container port performance index. (Photo: Truong Thanh Real)
According to the ranking, a port of Vietnam ranks 12th, surpassing major ports in developed countries such as Singapore (18th), Yokohama – Japan (15th), and Busan – South Korea (22nd).
That port is Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port, located in Ba Ria – Vung Tau province. The Cai Mep port cluster is also classified as a major seaport with a container throughput of over 4 million TEUs per year. In particular, Cai Mep maintains its 13th position (with a higher weight for the popular vessel size at the port).
The Cai Mep port cluster is classified as a major seaport with a container throughput of over 4 million TEUs per year. (Photo: Bao Dai Bieu Nhan Dan)
According to reports, this ranking is based on criteria related to container vessel delivery and loading times at a port throughout 2022.
With this ranking, Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port has become a symbol of Vietnam’s economic development and international integration. It is not just an ordinary seaport, but also a gateway to the world.
Impressive Figures of Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port
According to Dau Tu newspaper, located at the mouth of the Thi Vai and Cai Mep rivers, Cai Mep – Thi Vai International Port is the largest deep-water port in Vietnam, situated in Phu My town, Ba Ria – Vung Tau province, with a total length of over 14km.
According to Vietnam News Agency, with a vessel running channel depth of 14m, a port basin depth of 16.8m, and a ship turning basin width of 500m, Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port has become an ideal hub for cargo transportation between Vietnam and countries worldwide.
Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port has the capacity to accommodate vessels up to 250,000 tons. (Photo: Bao Dau Tu)
Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port is equipped with modern facilities and equipment, including three 890m-long docks, three 270m-long wharves, a 55ha container yard with a capacity of nearly 51,500 TEUs, 10 STS cranes, 22 yard cranes, three specialized cranes for wharves, 76 tractor trucks, five forklifts, and five empty container handlers. As a result, the port can handle the most modern vessels in the world, significantly reducing the transportation time for import and export goods between the southern region and other countries, without the need to transit in Singapore as before.
According to information from the Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion Center of Ba Ria – Vung Tau province, Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port is one of the two special seaports in Vietnam, invested in modern infrastructure, with the capacity to handle vessels up to 250,000 tons (about 24,000 TEUs).
It is also the only port cluster in Vietnam with direct mother vessels to Europe and the Americas and the highest frequency of services to the United States in Southeast Asia. The port has established 35 shipping routes, including nine domestic routes, 21 routes to the United States, and five routes to Europe. From Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port, goods can reach the West Coast of the United States in about 16 days and Europe in 21 days.
Two Giant Container Ships Successfully Docked
According to Dau Tu newspaper, since its operation since January 2021, the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port system has become the gateway and international transshipment port of Vietnam and Ba Ria – Vung Tau province.
On March 30, 2023, the container ship OOCL Spain safely docked at Gemalimk port in Cai Mep – Thi Vai. The ship measures nearly 400m in length, 61.3m in width, has a capacity of up to 225,000 tons, and can carry 24,188 TEUs. The vessel has a draft of -15m when entering the port and -15.5m when leaving the port.
OOCL Spain is ranked as one of the largest container vessels in the world, with a length of 146km if all the containers are lined up.
The world’s largest class container vessel OOCL Spain safely docked at Gemalimk port in Cai Mep – Thi Vai in March last year. (Photo: Vietnam People’s Navy Newspaper)
In addition to promoting the industrial development, Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port also contributes significantly to the recovery of tourism in Ba Ria – Vung Tau and Vietnam as a whole after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Specifically, on August 22, 2023, Cai Mep – Vung Tau Tan Cang Port – the potential logistics center of the Cai Mep area – successfully welcomed the Spectrum of the Seas cruise ship (operated by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines through Saigontourist as an agent) with a length of 347m and a height of 63m. With nearly 16 decks and 2,000 cabins, it can accommodate 5,600 passengers. This ship is considered the largest cruise ship currently operated by the Asia-based company.
According to the Vietnam Maritime Administration, the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port area accounts for 45-50% of the country’s import and export cargo and 70% of the total container volume. In the past five years, the size of vessels calling at the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port area has been increasing. With this potential, in the future, Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port will continue to be the gateway for import and export goods, promoting trade and cultural exchange. It is not only a destination for goods but also a job creator for thousands of people. The development of Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port contributes to the promotion of Vietnam’s economy and writes a great story of the country on the world maritime map.
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