According to the Vietnam Inland Waterway Administration, the demand for transporting goods is increasing on the Bac Ninh – Hai Phong axis.

Many prospects for container transport

According to the Department of Waterways, around Bac Ninh province, there are 56 industrial zones. The volume of goods in this area accounts for about 65% – 68% of the cargo through Hai Phong port, about 4 million Teus/year.

The increased transportation demand is expected to exceed the capacity of the current road system. While Bac Ninh province has convenient inland waterway connections to Hai Phong seaports through Duong river, Thai Binh river, Kinh Thay river, Cam river.

Currently, barges with a tonnage of 128 Teus can operate smoothly with a total length of about 120 km from Hai Phong seaport to Tan Cang Que Vo ICD through Cam river – Kinh Thay river – Thai Binh river – Duong river – ICD Tan Cang Que Vo.

On the other hand, the proportion of container transport by inland waterway to and from Hai Phong seaport is less than 2% of the total volume of containers through Hai Phong seaport. While the use of containers in transport is growing due to its high efficiency, multimodal connection of ships, cars, trains and inland waterway vehicles.

“It is forecast that the volume of import and export goods in the Bac Ninh – Bac Giang – Thai Nguyen region accounts for 40% of the total volume of imports and exports in the Northern region. This is a potential market for the logistics industry to develop. In which, the transport route from Hai Phong seaport to Bac Ninh and neighboring provinces is the lifeline”, a representative of the Vietnam Inland Waterway Administration said.

Forming a sample route for shipping containers by water

From 2020, the Department has advocated to develop a model waterway transport route from ICD Tan Cang Que Vo to Hai Phong seaport, forming a convenient water transport system.

“At the two ends of Bac Ninh and Hai Phong, there is the initial ICD inland port and waterway port infrastructure, which is convenient for the exploitation and development of container transport on the route,” said a representative of the Waterway Administration. added: In Que Vo district (Bac Ninh), Saigon Newport Corporation has invested in Que Vo ICD, inland waterway port and warehouse system with the current area of 9.6ha (in the expansion phase is 100ha). In 2021, the Ministry of Transport announced Que Vo ICD as a dry port. The Ministry of Finance recognizes Que Vo ICD as a customs clearance place for imported and exported goods.

In terms of scale, ICD Que Vo has a water port with 650m berth, the capacity to receive barges with a maximum tonnage of 160 Teus; equipped with 5 Liebherr shore cranes with a lifting capacity of 45 tons, a reach of 30m. Que Vo NewPort is a customs clearance place for import and export goods with full functions such as: empty container depot service, barge transportation, customs services, screening, inspection…

In Hai Phong area, Lach Huyen port (TC-HICT) has a dedicated wharf for loading and unloading vehicles. At TC-HICT with 41ha, there is a 750m main wharf to welcome ships of 132,000 DWT and 150m of specialized vehicle berth, 2 shore cranes can receive 2 160 Teus vehicles at the same time. In addition, Tan Cang – 128 Hai Phong port with 2 hectares has 422m of bridges, including 1 wharf and 1 shore crane that can be reserved for receiving vehicles.

“To form this route, it will be necessary to renovate and upgrade the waterway system with full signaling and auxiliary equipment to ensure smooth traffic on the river routes connecting from Tan Cang Que Vo ICD to the port. Hai Phong beach.

Along with that, forming a fleet of means of transporting containers by water with a tonnage of up to 128 Teus. Modern ICDs, ports, wharves, and warehouses, capable of receiving container barges, serve as hubs for combined waterway and land transport, and at the same time as customs clearance points for import and export goods, a representative of Vietnam Inland Waterway Administration emphasized.

From here, this agency advocates using the state budget to invest in channel infrastructure, inland waterway signaling systems, ensuring large tonnage barges can operate smoothly with the entire length of the route.

The Ministry of Transport is implementing investment projects on new construction and static lifting of Duong bridge. It is expected that after Duong bridge is completed, it will increase the length of the whole route to 220km, conveniently connecting from Hai Phong port to Bac Ninh, Hanoi, Vinh Phuc and Phu Tho.

Connection infrastructure in Bac Ninh and Hai Phong areas is convenient for inland waterway container transport.

On the Hai Phong side, road connection traffic includes national highways 5, 5b, 18, 10; connecting maritime route – Bach Dang navigational channel; connecting inland waterways from Lach Huyen Port – Cai Trap canal – Cam river – Han river – Kinh Thay river – Thai Binh river – Duong river – Que Vo ICD.

North of Bac Ninh, traffic connects with National Highway 18; connecting inland waterways from Lach Huyen Port – Cai Trap canal – Cam river – Han river – Kinh Thay river – Thai Binh river – Duong river – Que Vo ICD.

Source: Bao Giao thong