Recently, the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence unveiled the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), evaluating 348 container ports worldwide.
Among them, Vietnam’s Cai Mep Port (Ba Ria – Vung Tau) secured the 12th position, surpassing prominent ports like Singapore (18th) and Yokohama, Japan (15th), as well as Busan, South Korea (22nd).
The Cai Mep cluster of ports is also classified as a major container port, handling over 4 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) annually.
Notably, Cai Mep maintains its 13th position when considering the technical calculation, which assigns higher weight to the vessel size commonly used at the port.
Other ports that made it to the top list include Da Nang Port (Da Nang), Saigon Port (Ho Chi Minh City), Hai Phong Port (Hai Phong), Quy Nhon Port (Binh Dinh), and Chu Lai Port (Quang Nam).
The CPPI report, released annually, assesses the efficiency of global ports based on criteria related to the time it takes to load and unload containers throughout the year.
The CPPI index factors in vessel arrival time, berthing time, loading and unloading productivity, total cargo per trip, and vessel departure time. Additionally, two other factors, namely vessel size (which enhances fuel efficiency) and digitalization, are considered.
Below are some images depicting the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port cluster:
- TCIT, a deep-water port situated near the confluence of the Cai Mep and Thi Vai rivers, is a joint venture between Saigon Newport Corporation and three major foreign shipping lines. The port’s total investment amounts to $100 million. Upon its establishment in 2011, TCIT became Vietnam’s first deep-water transshipment port.
- The International Terminal at Cai Mep, with its modern infrastructure, boasts three berths measuring 890 meters, three finger piers extending 270 meters, a 55-hectare container yard with a capacity of nearly 51,500 TEUs, 10 quay cranes, 22 yard cranes, three specialized gantry cranes for finger piers, 76 tractors, five forklifts, and five empty container handlers.
- Designed to accommodate mega-vessels with a capacity exceeding 12,500 TEUs, the port received 350 mother vessels in 2021. In June 2021, the Tan Cang – Cai Mep International Terminal welcomed a mother vessel carrying a staggering 15,615 TEUs.
- Notably, TCIT has the capability to handle an impressive 238 containers per hour, equivalent to nearly four containers per minute. This significantly reduces loading and unloading time, a crucial factor contributing to the 11th ranking of the Cai Mep port cluster in terms of operational efficiency.
- TICT is located approximately 18 nautical miles (about 33 kilometers) from Vung Tau pepper buoy, and vessels entering and leaving the port are guided by experienced pilots. The accompanying image shows two tugboats assisting a mother vessel carrying a load of up to 14,026 TEUs.
In addition to transportation activities, the port is committed to environmental protection and the use of clean energy. Even within the port area, the mangrove forests are well-preserved.
TICT, along with the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port cluster in general, alleviates pressure on the ports in Ho Chi Minh City, facilitating convenient import and export of goods for Vietnam without the need for transshipment via a third country.
In the future, once completed, Gemalink may surpass TCIT to become the largest port in the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port cluster, with a capacity of 2.4 million TEUs per year.