News Highlights week: 51 - 2021

The Chinese manufacturer delivered the new crane to the Ho Chi Minh City satellite port of Cai Mep on 13 December. 

The Shanghai-built gantry was shipped to Vietnam fully assembled aboard the heavy load carrier ZHEN HUA 28.

CMIT’s new quay crane has a lift capacity of 100 tons and a 23-row outreach. According to CMIT, the sixth ship-to-shore crane is expected to complete installation and testing in December to be commissioned in January. 

In 2007 a joint venture of APM Terminals, Saigon Port and the Vietnam Maritime Corporation was established to develop and operate the terminal and CMIT eventually launched in 2011. 

The facility offers a pier length of 600 m and an estimated design capacity of 1.10 Mteu per year. The terminal is primarily used by Maersk Group, which accounts for an estimated two thirds of all traffic. 

CMIT is one of many mid-sized container terminals at Cai Mep, most of which were developed in the 2010’s. Competing container terminals in the direct vicinity include the Gemalink International Port (GIP), the SP-SSA International Port, the Tan Cang Cai Mep Thi Vai Port (TCTT), the Tan Cang Cai Mep International Terminal (TCIT) and the Tan Cang Cai Mep Container Terminal (TCCT).

CULines offers new China - Southern Vietnam loop 

China United Lines (CULines) will in mid-December offer a dedicated service connecting South China and Southern Vietnam, called China Vietnam 3 service (CV3). 

As of 17 December, the new ‘CV3’ is expected to turn every ten days using the 1,113 teu OCEAN GRACE serving Nansha, Shekou, Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai), Nansha. 

It is yet to be confirmed whether the introduction of the ‘CV3’ would affect CULines existing Central/South China-Southern Vietnam ‘CV2’ service which links up Ningbo, Chiwan and Ho Chi Minh City. 

So far, the forward schedule published by CULines only advertises the ‘CV2’ until early January 2022.

BAL offers new South China - Southern Vietnam link

Chinese carrier BAL Container Line will introduce this week a new short-sea service connecting South China and Southern Vietnam, aptly marketed as South Vietnam Express ‘SVX’. 

The dedicated ‘SVX’ service connects Dachan Bay and Nansha in South China with Ho Chi Minh City in Southern Vietnam. It deploys the 706 teu BAL STAR, which will commence operations on 20 December from Dachan Bay.

Alphaliner records show that the new 'SVX' of BAL Container Line will offer the only direct link between Dachan Bay, which is part of the Shenzhen ports in the Pearl River Delta. There are however already plenty of options from the neighbouring Chiwan and Shekou ports.

VNS