Vietnam's Lach Huyen Port Buys Cranes for Next Phase of Expansion

The Japanese shipyard Mitsui E&S shipbuilding has received an order for 30 cargo handling cranes for a customer in Vietnam. The procurement was made by the Port of Haiphong Joint Stock Company (CHP), a subsidiary of Vietnam Marine Corporation (VIMC), which is currently constructing the container terminal in the Lach Huyen area in Vietnam’s northern city of Hai Phong. The new port represents one of the first public-private partnerships between the Governments of Vietnam and Japan.

The order consists of six STS cranes and 24 RTGs. The STS cranes to be delivered have a 65-meter outreach and can be capable of handling large container vessels exceeding 15,000 TEU. This will be one of the largest crane orders for CHP for its port complexes in Haiphong area.

Mitsui has a record of delivering cargo handling cranes to CHP, with the last delivery made in 2007 as part of Japanese government’s official assistance to Vietnam. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is involved in the planning, design and construction of the new Lach Huyen Port.

Plans for the construction of Lach Huyen International Port were first launched in 2013 under Vietnam’s 2020 Seaport Development Plan. It is intended to be an extension of the Port of Haiphong, which over the years has seen a rise in demand for containerized cargo. The new terminal is designed to handle large container vessels, enabling direct exports from Northern Vietnam to the U.S and European markets without using transshipment ports in Singapore and Hong Kong.

The Lach Huyen Port is being developed on Cat Hai Island and connected by a sea bridge and access roads to mainland Vietnam. The port is being constructed in phases, and the first two container terminals have already been in operation since 2018.

The third and fourth terminals are still in construction and are expected to be commissioned by 2025, according to a statement in July by CHP. The procurement of the cargo cranes shows the works are on schedule.    

Maersk is also working with Vietnam's HATECO to develop another two deepwater berths at Lach Huyen, capable of handing 18,000 TEU vessels. In the initial phase, the facility will have five STS cranes and 14 RTGs.