June 3rd 2005, the Board of Directors and staff of Saigon Newport Company, The Mitsui O.S.K Lines (Japan) and the representatives from the shipping lines/ agents, the forwarding companies, the domestic and foreign importers/ exporters and Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro) and crew members of vessel MOL PREMIUM warmly welcomed the first container vessel at Tan Cang- Cai mep deep sea port. It was the Mitsui O.S.K Lines’ vessel MOL PREMIUM which has the LOA of 293 metres, capacity of 6,350 teus and the total tonnage of 75.000 DWT. It was the biggest container vessel ever calling at a Vietnam Terminal up to the present time.
Located at Tan phuoc commune, Tan Thanh District, Baria -Vung Tau Province, Tan Cang- Cai Mep belonging to Saigon Newport Company has the scope of 60 hectares of CY and the berth length of 900 meters which is capable to accommodate the vessel of up to 80,000 DWT. The terminal coming into the operation is the Tan Cang- Cai Mep terminal – Phase I of Tan Cang- Cai Mep Container Terminal Joint Stock Company (under Saigon Newport Company). The prominent point is that Saigon Newport has invested most of the amount of VND 1,200 billion to develop this terminal. Total area of the terminal is 20. 5 hectare, one main berth with the length of 300 metres and the width of 45.5 metres, three leading bridges. The berth is able to receive the vessel of up to 80,000 DWT. The draft at berth reaches -15.8 metres. The berth has been equipped with three Post -Panamax produced by Kocks (Germany). This is the twin-lifting quayside gantry cranes with the lifting capacity of 65 tons. The CY is equipped with 10 RTGs 6 1 with the lifting capacity of 40 tons and the height of 5 stackings. The designed capacity of tan Cang- cai mep phase I is 650,000 Teus/year.
Tan Cang Cai Mep deep sea port has a good connectivity system with Tan cang terminal, Cat Lai terminal , ICDs in Ho Chi Minh city, Song Than ICD in Binh Duong and Long Binh ICD in Bien Hoa city, Dong Nai province with the modern and adequate facilities to create a perfect logistics network to serve the delivery and receipt of the cargo in Ho Chi Minh city, Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces. Beside the supply of the services for the port operation and cargo receipt/ delivery, Tan Cang- Cai Mep Deep Sea Port is also ready to provide the tugboat service with three tugboats having the total capacity of 7,700 HP to give the assistance for the big vessels upon maneuvering to/from the berth, the barging service with the fleet of 15 barges having the total capacity of over 700 Teus to transport containers from Ho Chi Minh city to Cai Mep. The Newport pilot company with enthusiastic, responsible and experienced staff has been granted the permit of Vinamarine to give the guidance for the vessel coming to/from Tan Cang-Cai Mep terminal.
Saigon Newport company is also promptly continuing the construction of 600 metres of berth and 40 hectares of CY so that the joint venture of Saigon Newport, Hanjin Shipping, Mitsui O.S.K Lines and Wanhai Lines will be able to start the operation of Tan Cang- Cai mep phase II in the end of 2010. In the coming time, Saigon New port shall complete the first 50 metres berth of Terminal phase II aiming at accommodating the vessel with LOA of more than 300 metres called at the terminal.
Thanks to its modern and standard facilities, the economically and geographically advantageous location, a perfect logistic system linking with the industrial and processing zones of focal economic areas, Tan Cang- Cai Mep will become a promising destination for shipping lines, shipping agents, domestic and foreign importers and exporters.
In the situation of the economic recession, the cutting down of the operation cost is the primary aim of any enterprises. In fact of the past years, due to the lack of the deep sea ports, the importers and exporters of Vietnam were at a disadvantage compared with those in the Southeast Asia and China, Hong Kong, Japan because they have to pay the transshippment surcharges at the Ports of Singapore, Hong Kong, Pusan, Laemchabang. The event of Tan Cang- Cai Mep celebration of the first vessel calling at the terminal has got an important meaning not only for Saigon Newport, MOL but also a very good news for the shipping lines, consignees and shippers. The direct service to the ports of Europeans and American countries shall make positive contributions to reduce the transport cost of the cargo and promoting the import- export of Vietnam vigorously.
