PRESS RELEASE
On June 24, 2023, Long An International Port officially connects its 7 berths and launches its container handling services. This marks an important milestone in its strategic vision towards becoming an internationally recognized seaport in Asia. The program is an important highlight in the series of activities to celebrate the 54th anniversary of the Dong Tam brand’s establishment (June 25, 1969 – June 25, 2023).
The event was attended by Mr. Truong Tan Sang, former Politburo member and former President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Mr. Truong Hoa Binh, former Politburo member and former Permanent Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Mr. Mai Van Chinh, member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the Central Organization Committee; Mr. Nguyen Dinh Viet, Deputy Director of Vietnam Maritime Administration; Mr. Nguyen Van Duoc, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Council of Long An Province; and representatives from departments, branches and unions of Long An Province, central and local news and radio agencies.
Long An International Port is part of the project cluster spanning 1,935 hectares in Can Giuoc District, Long An Province consisting of the 396-ha industrial park, 239-ha industrial services area, 1,145-ha urban area and most especially the 147-ha seaport. This industrial ecosystem aims to bring added value to the whole region in the future.
After 8 years of continuous construction since 2015, on June 24, 2023, Dongtam Group was pleased to announce the project’s progress and officially inaugurated its 7 berths and launched its container handling services. The total length from berth 1 to berth 7 is 1,670m. In the next phase of development, Long An International Port will expand to 10 berths, including 1 berth specializing in liquid/liquefied petroleum gas, 3 mooring buoys, and 1 berth to accommodate large cruise ships to welcome domestic and international tourists. When completed, the port will have the longest continuous berth length in Vietnam with 2,368m and be capable of receiving ships of up to 100,000 DWT.
Dongtam Group has invested more than 500 million USD for the port’s warehouses and yard space of up to 1 million square meters, truck fleet, modern equipment, and facilities to complete its goal of becoming a “one-stop logistics hub”.
Long An International Port is actively developing its container handling capacity. To-date, the port has invested in 6 STS and 18 RTG cranes which are 100% manufactured and assembled in Japan by the world’s leading manufacturer with
hundreds of years of experience in heavy machinery, Mitsui E&S Machinery. Further investments will aim to constantly upgrade equipment towards the target of supporting 1,000,000 TEU capacity.
Mr. Vo Quoc Thang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dongtam Group (Investor) and Chairman of the Business Association of Long An Province, affirmed, “The energy and resources that Dongtam has invested in the project is a testament to our commitment to promote the economic development of the Mekong Delta Region. And this especially contributes to the socio-economic situation of low-income population across the country. The project cluster brings benefits to the Mekong Delta including attracting investments, optimizing logistics costs, reducing product costs, increasing the competitiveness of goods in the region, contributing to the creation of new urban areas, improving people’s lives, retaining local workers, and other positive social impact.”
Long An International Port will be an attractive destination, satisfying the needs of customers and investors. Through sufficient road infrastructure, the smooth flow of domestic and international goods will optimize product costs and minimize logistical challenges.
The port is built with the goal of providing a full range of port and logistics services including transportation, storage, warehousing, and other value-added services, and will constantly expand its investments to meet operational safety standards and fully satisfy customer needs.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Lam, member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Long An Province, said during his keynote speech at the event, “The development of Long An International Port perfectly fits the strategy of developing and completing the transport infrastructure connecting the province with the surrounding areas, thereby optimizing logistics costs for businesses investing in Long An Province and the Mekong Delta, Long An International Port has contributed to solving logistics problems and is one of the driving forces for economic development in the Mekong Delta. This is also reflected in the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 686/QD-TTg dated June 13, 2023 approving the Planning of Long An Province for the period of 2021 – 2030, with a vision to 2050.”
“There are two important components: firstly, the direction of organizing socio-economic activities, with the model of “one center, two economic corridors, three socio-economic regions, six axes”. Secondly, the development direction of important industries and fields, specifically the service industry, striving towards 2030: “Developing logistics services into an important economic sector of the province, turning Long An into a gateway, a center for goods transshipment and warehousing, connecting the provinces of the Mekong Delta with Ho Chi Minh City, the Southeast region and the Cambodian market, hence, becoming the focal point for exporting agricultural products of the Mekong Delta. Focus will be given to developing logistics infrastructure, especially transportation infrastructure, warehousing infrastructure and applying new technologies in logistics, prioritizing investments in logistics infrastructure at Long An International Port,” Mr Nguyen Lam added.
“With dedication, focus and strong determination, Dong Tam’s Board of Directors and employees have implemented the Long An International Port project on schedule as approved by Party – State authorities and leaders at all levels. Local leaders highly appreciate the port’s innovation and socio-economic significance. Long An Province, with a clear development plan and direction, is always interested in promoting investments in transport infrastructure connecting key industrial zones/groups with the Port, making Long An International Port develop suitably to serve the needs of the province and the Mekong Delta. This is not only the responsibility of the investor, but also the responsibility of all levels and sectors in Long An Province to work together in order to achieve a common goal which is to maximize potential and advantages, achieve results, and promote innovative socio-economic development of Long An Province,” Mr. Nguyen Minh Lam said.
During construction and operation, the port accommodates vessels of up to 70,000 DWT. Cargo through the port reached 2 million tons and 2.2 million tons in 2021 and 2022, respectively. On this occasion, the port officially launched the services for container goods in addition to its existing services to cater to agricultural and aquatic products, fertilizers, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, and super-long and super-heavy items.
“I would like to express my delight on behalf of the employees of Long An International Port as we officially welcome the first container vessel to our port with an impressive operational performance. We are ready in terms of operational capacity and equipment to handle containers safely and efficiently. We plan to reach 1,000,000 TEU by 2030 and handle 10 million tons of general cargo through the port,” said Mr. Peter Hendrik Slootweg, CEO of Long An International Port Operation & Management JSC.
On the same day, Dongtam Group, Mitsubishi Corporation – Japan and consulting partner GreenBank, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for research, strategy consulting and service development for Long An International Port.
It is expected that this agreement will pave the way for many opportunities for cooperation and contribute to achieving the goal of 1,000,000 TEU of cargo by 2030.
In addition to existing services such as handling bulk and general cargo, domestic and international freight forwarding, warehouse leasing, and customs brokerage, Long An International Port will soon provide additional container services such as reefer, cleaning and repair to complete its full range of port and logistics services.
Dongtam Group mainly operates in industries such as manufacturing and trading of building materials, interior and exterior decoration, real estate, industrial parks, education, port and logistics services and many other high potential areas. Long An International Port is a key project in the Group’s development plan to complete its ecosystem of a multi-industry, dynamic and modern corporation.
Also at the event, Dongtam Group was honored to receive the Certificate of Vietnam Record and Indochina Record for the tallest Flagpole Tower at Long An International Port. The flagpole of Long An International Port is the tallest flagpole in Indochina with a pillar height of 63 meters (from base to tip) representing 63 provinces/cities of Vietnam. The 54 square meter flag represents 54 ethnic groups.
The series of events during the 7 berths connection ceremony and the container handling service launch at Long An International Port is a particularly important occasion not only for the Board of Directors and employees of Dongtam Group, but also significant to the Party Committee, government and people of Can Giuoc District, Long An Province. The events mark a new milestone in the Group’s 54-year journey of growth during the founding anniversary of the Dong Tam brand (June 25, 1969 – June 25, 2023).
