Logistics supports Hai Lang's sustainable development.

Hai Lang District is currently a key industrial development area in Quang Tri Province. To support industrial development, logistics plays a crucial role. Therefore, logistics is the direction that will help Hai Lang achieve sustainable development, especially since the locality currently possesses many favorable factors for developing a logistics-based economy .

Construction work underway on the site of the Quang Tri Industrial Park - Photo: QUANG GIANG

Strengths for developing logistics

Logistics is considered the "back-end" stage for industry, encompassing services such as freight transportation, warehousing and storage, packaging and preservation, and product distribution. Compared to other localities within the province and in the region, Hai Lang has many favorable factors for developing the logistics sector.

Geographically, Hai Lang is located at the southern gateway of Quang Tri province. Its flat terrain and vast land area make it a key connection point to important external transportation routes such as National Highway 1, the North-South railway, and the North-South expressway, linking it to the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) within the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). This is an ideal trans-Asian route connecting Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos, passing through the Lao Bao International Border Gate to the central provinces of Vietnam with great convenience.

In particular, the Para-EWEC Corridor, with a length of over 420 km, will be the shortest connection from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean , passing through Myanmar, Northeast Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam via the La Lay International Border Gate and to the My Thuy deep-water port via National Highway 15D, and will be constructed in the future.

In terms of infrastructure, Hai Lang has the My Thuy deep-water port, currently under construction with 10 berths, capable of receiving ships with a tonnage of up to 100,000 tons; a total investment of 15,000 billion VND; and a transport capacity of approximately 1,040 million to 1,160 million tons per year by 2030. In addition, Hai Lang has the Quang Tri Industrial Park (VSIP 8), a project with a land area of ​​481.2 hectares and a total investment of 2,074 billion VND, developed by a joint venture of three investors: Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park Joint Venture Company Limited (VSIP), Amata Bien Hoa Urban Corporation (part of Amata Group of Thailand), and Sumitomo Corporation of Japan.

On the other hand, Hai Lang is a key area of ​​the Southeast Quang Tri Economic Zone, attracting many important projects such as the Quang Tri thermal power plant project; the Hai Lang LNG project phase 1, and is also a favorable location for receiving onshore natural gas from gas fields such as Ken Bau with reserves of nearly 230 billion m3 and 450 million barrels of condensate, and Bao Vang and Bao Den fields with nearly 58 billion m3.

The Southeast Quang Tri Economic Zone was approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 1936/QD-TTg dated October 11, 2016, with a total natural land area of ​​23,792 hectares. A new planning scheme is currently being approved by competent authorities to expand the area, including the planning of logistics centers. This aligns with the increasing import and export turnover and the volume of foreign trade goods, which are expected to continue to grow in the future.

Statistics show that in 2024, import and export turnover through the two international border gates of Lao Bao and La Lay reached nearly 1 billion USD, with a total volume of goods of 3.44 million tons and a total value of nearly 9 billion USD. In the near future, if My Thuy port is put into operation along with key projects in the province, especially the Quang Tri Industrial Park, the volume of goods is expected to increase significantly.

Logistics projects are currently underway.

To capitalize on development, investors have promoted and implemented logistics projects. The Logistics and Service Center project in the Southeast Quang Tri Economic Zone, invested by IDC Southeast Joint Stock Company, has been licensed by the Provincial People's Committee in Hai Binh commune, Hai Lang district, with a land area of ​​20.91 hectares after adjustment and a total investment of over 784 billion VND.

The project's areas of operation include logistics services such as agency services, freight forwarding, and transportation; warehousing and goods storage, including warehousing in warehouses, container warehousing services supporting maritime transport, and warehousing services supporting other transport vehicles; cargo handling, including loading and unloading of goods and containers; and direct support services for road transport.

The design scope includes the construction of warehouses, storage yards and transportation equipment, internal transportation systems, an administration and management area, and auxiliary facilities; the center will handle approximately 4.5 - 5 million tons of goods per year. Regarding the project schedule, according to Decision No. 414/QD-UBND of the Provincial People's Committee dated March 22, 2024, the project will commence construction and become operational in the near future.

Another larger-scale logistics project being promoted by investors is the construction of the My Thuy Port Logistics Zone. This project is being undertaken by the same investor currently developing the My Thuy Port Area project, and will be implemented when the My Thuy Port Area project begins construction. The proposed project will utilize 86 hectares of land and has a total investment of approximately 2,232 billion VND, with My Thuy International Port Joint Venture Company (MTIP) as the investor. The Provincial People's Committee considers this project essential to support and optimize the efficiency of cargo transportation through the My Thuy deep-water port after it becomes operational, thereby creating momentum for socio-economic development in Quang Tri province, especially in Hai Lang district.

Furthermore, the adjustment and expansion of the Southeast Quang Tri Economic Zone is creating room for further planning and allocating significant land for logistics projects, such as the 71-hectare area planned for logistics in Hai Binh commune. These logistics projects, both completed and ongoing, promise to support industrial development once projects like the My Thuy Port Area and the Quang Tri Industrial Park are completed and operational.

New impetus for Hai Lang's sustainable development.

To leverage the advantages of being a gateway through Vietnam on the East-West Economic Corridor and to develop Quang Tri in general and Hai Lang in particular into a regional logistics center, connecting the entire region's trade with the region and the world, and vice versa, via National Highway 9 and National Highway 15D connecting My Thuy Port to La Lay International Border Gate and Lao Bao International Border Gate, strong solutions are needed to capitalize on these advantages and create momentum for the development of logistics services.

This includes expanding economic cooperation and foreign trade, creating development links with central provinces and countries along the East-West Economic Corridor. It also involves boosting investment in transportation infrastructure, such as upgrading National Highway 9 and investing in National Highway 15D, to exploit the advantages of the North-South and East-West infrastructure corridors, and rationally utilizing the coastal area to develop logistics services. The goal is to quickly transform Hai Lang into a logistics and goods transshipment center for Southeast Asia and transportation corridors within ASEAN and the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

At the same time, the province needs to strengthen cooperative relations with the central provinces of Laos and the northeastern region of Thailand to facilitate exchanges and cooperation among transportation businesses in developing transportation, accelerating the implementation of the Cooperation Project for the Quang Tri (Vietnam) - Salavan (Laos) - Ubon Ratchathani (Thailand) Economic Corridor; developing a joint cross-border economic and trade zone between Lao Bao and Densavan, as well as establishing the La Lay - La Lay Economic Zone between Quang Tri and Salavan provinces.

Accelerate progress and attract investment in key infrastructure projects such as logistics centers and warehouses in Hai Lang district, especially in the My Thuy area. Simultaneously, expedite the construction of My Thuy port, Quang Tri Industrial Park, gas-fired power plants, thermal power plants, and oil and gas storage facilities.

Focus on supporting the development of logistics businesses in terms of quantity, quality, scale, and capacity to serve the needs of the domestic and regional markets. Establish a number of professional logistics service businesses and large-scale transportation businesses in the region, while implementing policies to support the development of logistics services businesses to ensure competitiveness in the market, contributing to trade facilitation, restructuring business operations, and aiming towards the formation of a regional logistics center.

Focus on training and developing high-quality human resources to prepare for and participate in the logistics sector; develop policies to support localities in implementing activities to develop logistics services.

Le Minh

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/logistics-ho-tro-hai-lang-phat-trien-ben-vung-192391.htm