The development of seaports has not yet met the demand.

In particular, Dung Quat port is expected to become a modern, large-scale seaport in the region with berths for ships with a tonnage of 10,000 to 50,000 tons, and container ships with a capacity of up to 4,000 TEU.

According to the revised master plan for 2020, with a vision to 2030, Dung Quat port has 14 main berths included in the plan for investment and construction, aiming to become a large-scale and modern seaport capable of accommodating both large barges and container ships.

However, after many years of investment and operation, Dung Quat now has 8 ports (3 general cargo ports including: Hao Hung, Quang Ngai Petroleum Services Joint Stock Company ( PTSC ) and Gemadept; 5 specialized ports including: 1 port of Doosan, 2 ports of Dung Quat Refinery, a port of the shipyard and Hoa Phat-Dung Quat port).

Currently, only Hoa Phat - Dung Quat port can accommodate ships with a capacity of 150,000 - 200,000 tons, while other ports only accept ships with a capacity of 50,000 - 70,000 tons. This forces businesses to use seaports outside the province, causing difficulties and increasing transportation costs.

According to Nguyen Phong, Director of the Department of Transport of Quang Ngai province, although it has the advantage of a deep-water seaport, the volume of goods imported and exported through the port is not large, leading to the inability of maritime transport and the maritime economy to develop rapidly.

Quang Ngai's logistics system only handles some basic stages and has not yet played the role of an efficient center for receiving and distributing goods. Maritime infrastructure is limited, with narrow channels and insufficient depth, requiring frequent dredging. Ship tonnage entering and leaving the port is increasing, but the channel standards are not suitable for the scale of the berths, leading to fewer ship owners and cargo owners choosing Dung Quat as their destination.

In the last months of the year, the coastal area, particularly Dung Quat Bay, frequently experiences major storms, significantly impacting infrastructure, machinery, and equipment, hindering the reception and operation of ships during this period.

Find solutions for development.

Quang Ngai needs to complete important transportation projects to ensure connectivity between the Dung Quat Economic Zone and major transportation routes. At the same time, it needs to accelerate the implementation of industrial park and urban development projects and address social and environmental issues to attract investors.

One of the strategic solutions is to build a chain of coastal and island cities with synchronized, modern, smart infrastructure that is adaptable to climate change. In particular, the Dung Quat - Sa Huynh coastal road needs to be completed to maximize the potential of the marine economy.

The People's Committee of Quang Ngai province has requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to expedite the establishment of a national petrochemical and energy center in the Dung Quat Economic Zone, as well as to support the acceleration of key projects such as: upgrading the Dung Quat Oil Refinery, Dung Quat Power Plants I and III, and attracting investment in other gas-fired power projects.

Regarding the Ministry of Transport, the province requests that it direct the completion of the Dung Quat interchange between the Da Nang - Quang Ngai expressway and the Tri Binh - Dung Quat port road, in order to connect and effectively utilize this route.

In addition, it is necessary to invest in the construction of a North-South railway branch line connecting to Dung Quat seaport, creating an important transportation hub with all modes of transport: road, rail, and sea.

Quang Ngai is continuing to mobilize resources to build and complete its port and logistics infrastructure. At the same time, the province is strengthening investment promotion in industrial production and export processing to leverage the Dung Quat deep-water port system and establish container shipping routes to ports in the region and internationally.

Port operators need to invest more in modern equipment and improve the quality of their professional staff to enhance the efficiency of port operations. This will contribute to raising the profile of Dung Quat port in the region and the country.