Hiep Phuoc port and urban zone could surpass Phu My Hung, considered HCM City's "new urban area paradigm," in scale and level of modernity, the city Party unit chief, Le Thanh Hai, said Friday.
Hai was visiting the urban area site in Nha Be District.
Hua Ngoc Thuan, deputy head of Hiep Phuoc's management board, said the "harbor city" is expected to spread over 3,600 hectares, including 336 hectares for port activities, nearly 1,300 hectares for mixed-use urban development, and the rest for industrial plants.
According to Tan Thuan Industrial Promotion Co (IPC), by 2015 Hiep Phuoc could have a population of 250,000, facilitate development of nearby ports in Tien Giang and Long
An provinces, and provide comprehensive logistics services.
Truong Ngoc Tuong, chief architect of Portcoast Consultant, said the Soai Rap River, which serves Hiep Phuoc and southern provinces, could, after being dredged for a second time starting October, accommodate ships weighing 50,000 to 70,000 dwt.
Several port investors are already taking advantage of Hiep Phuoc's shipping capacity, he said, including DP World, currently in negotiation to rent 75 hectares to construct its second container terminal with 1,500 square metres of wharf with an expected capacity of 3 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) a year.
Hiep Phuoc has the potential to have 8 kilometres of wharf, he said, while 150 to 200 million tonnes of cargo could go through it annually.
Than Trong Hieu, deputy chair of Nha Be District People's Committee, said the land price in this area has skyrocketed considering its location near such a major urban area like Phu My Hung.
He asked the city to speed up paperwork and construction of resettlement areas for displaced people.
It should make sure that these resettlement centres have proper infrastructure and easy access to schools, markets, and even vocational training centres, he said.
Hai said, "It's certainly within the city's capability to transform Hiep Phuoc into an even better living area than Phu My Hung."
Phu My Hung Corp (PMH), licensed in 1993, is a joint venture between the Tan Thuan IPC and the Taiwan-based Central Trading & Development Group.
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