DP World opens Saigon terminal

DP World-operated Saigon Premier Container Terminal (SPCT) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, was officially opened yesterday.

The container terminal, which is located along the western shore of the Soai Rap River on 23 hectares in the Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park, is a state-of-the-art facility which began operations in October last year, two years after construction began in September 2007.

Phase one of the development has two berths and storage capacity for up to 15,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container units) at a time, including 650 refrigerated container slots.

The continued development of the infrastructure includes dredging of the Saoi Rap river to a depth of 9.5 metres, allowing SPCT to serve vessels with a nominal capacity of up to 5,000 TEU close to the city. Dredging to a depth of 12 metres is planned in future allowing SPCT to handle vessels up to 8,000 TEU.

DP World Chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, said: "This reinforces our confidence in the potential for this beautiful country. We believe that with the right port facilities, further rapid expansion of international trade is not just possible but probable, to the benefit of both Vietnam and its trading partners." Five lines will make multiple weekly calls at the new facility.

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