The route—which connects the inland and sea ports of Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh—is expected to meet the needs of large-volume freight transport, especially super-heavy goods, from the north to the central region, where large industrial parks are located.

The introduction of the new coastal shipping route is a key solution to reduce traffic to ensure traffic safety, protect transportation infrastructure, and improve the quality of freight services.

It is estimated that around 500,000-600,000 tonnes of cargo would be transferred per month by 600 vessels weighing 1,000 tonnes each, which is equivalent to 20,000 road transport vehicles of 30 tonnes each.

Coastal shipping requires approximately three times longer than road transport, but costs around a fifth compared to road transport and allows the carriage of long and heavy goods that cannot be transferred by road transport.

At the launching, the MoT presented licences to two ships, Hoang Hai 26 and Thai Ha 28, which carried 1,450 tonnes of concrete piles from Chua Ve Port (Hai Phong) to Nghi Son Port (Thanh Hoa) on the route’s inaugural voyage.

The ministry has directed related agencies to study and establish more coastal transportation routes in accordance with approved plans.