GEMADEPT Group has said it will continue to invest in expanding Gemalink International Port at Bar?a Vungtau near Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon) and Haiphong port serving Hanoi, reports Rotterdam's Dredging Today.

Accordingly, the group is completing related procedures and arranging capital to start construction on Phase 2 of Gemalink Port in November 2024 and will be ready to operate from December 2025.

This project has a total investment of US$300 million. Once completed, the total design capacity of the port will reach three million TEU, the highest level compared to any rival in Southeast Asia, Gemadept Group said.

Once completed, Gemalink port is expected to receive ships of up to 250,000 dwt, the largest container ship size in the world today, creating a competitive advantage in the region. Thereby, the port will be able to attract more large customers, especially ships with a tonnage of 100,000 dwt or more.

For Phase 3 of Nam Dinh Vu Port project, the project is expected to start construction in July 2024 with total investment of VND2.5 trillion (US$101.9 million). This project is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2025, helping to increase the total capacity of the port to 2 million TEU, becoming the largest and most scaled river port in northern Vietnam.

Gemadept Group said it will also complete the Hanam canal dredging project. This project will bring benefits to the entire port business community in Haiphong and the capacity of Namdinh Vu Port will increase by about 300,000 TEU.

In addition, serious congestion at Singapore is bringing opportunities to Vietnamese businesses as a number of ships of major shipping lines have diverted to Gemalink Port.

If the congestion lasts, the goods transfer centre will change from Singapore to other places, including Bar?a Vungtau.

At the same time, ports in Haiphong also benefit from being a goods transshipment centre with China,