Cai Mep International Terminal welcomes MSC’s largest container vessel call ever in Vietnam
MSC chose Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT), APM Terminal’s joint venture with Vietnam Maritime Corporation and Saigon Port to handle the m/v MSC DITTE on September 24, 2022, according to the company's release. The MSC DITTE is MSC’s largest ever container vessel to call in Vietnam. At 200,148 DWT, MSC DITTE is well within CMIT’s 214,000 DWT capacity.
The mega container vessel is operated on 2M Alliance’s Pearl service, connecting Vietnam with the US West Coast. With an average crane productivity of nearly 32 containers/hour/crane and 23-row outreach, CMIT successfully handled almost 16,000 TEUs of import, export, transshipment and empty containers, keeping her journey timely after only 54 hours’ port stay.
Increasing calls for CMIT to handle mega ships such as the MSC DITTE affirm its world class capability, management and coordination with, among others, authority agencies, Ministry of Transport, Vinamarine, Vung Tau Port Authority, Pilot, and Tugboat.
The CMIT deep-water port is categorised as a special port cluster according to the master plan of Vietnam's seaport system 2021-2030. The vision to 2050 was approved by the Prime Minister (Decision No. 1579 /QD-TTg) on September 22, 2021. In August 2022, the Ministry of Transport approved a total investment of over USD 60 billion from the state budget to upgrade the CM-TV channel.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) has also approved the Environmental Impact Assessment report of the project which will begin earliest at the end of this year/early next year at the latest. On completion, the access channel to CMIT will reach a minimum depth of 15.5m with a 350m width, further improving conditions for CMIT to enhance the port’s appeal to mega vessels.
CMIT, located 50 kilometres southwest of Ho Chi Minh City, was ranked 11th most efficient container port in the world in 2021 by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence.
