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In the maritime industry, shipping channels are an essential factor in ensuring the safe and efficient operation of seaports. A shipping channel is not just the path that ships must follow to enter or leave a port, but also a part of port infrastructure that plays a crucial role in ensuring the ability to accommodate ships, reducing costs, and improving port efficiency. Maintaining a deep and wide shipping channel is not only important from a technical standpoint but also has a significant impact on economic development and the competitiveness of the port.
A shipping channel is a designated route in the sea, with depth and width that are designed and maintained to ensure ships can safely move from offshore to the port or vice versa. For a favorable shipping channel, the following requirements must be met:
The channel should be nearly straight.
The width and depth should be sufficient for safe navigation, considering the impact of the shoreline shape, seabed topography, and waves caused by ships.
Meteorological and oceanographic conditions, especially wind and tidal currents, must be within acceptable limits to ensure safe navigation.
An adequate number of buoys and navigational aids must be in place to ensure maritime safety.
Maintaining deep and wide shipping channels enables seaports to accommodate large container ships and other heavy-loaded vessels. Modern container ships can carry up to 20,000 TEU or more and require shipping channels with sufficient depth and width to dock safely. If the shipping channel is not deep enough or too narrow, large ships will be unable to access the port, increasing shipping costs and reducing port efficiency.
Maintaining a deep and wide shipping channel allows ports to receive large vessels, enhancing their competitiveness with international ports and meeting the growing demand for maritime transport along international shipping routes.
When ships can easily enter the port without facing obstructions from the shipping channel, cargo handling and transportation times are shortened, leading to reduced shipping costs. If the shipping channel is too shallow or narrow, ships will need extra time for adjustments, reduce speed, or even wait, leading to congestion and increased operational costs.
Ports with deep and wide shipping channels ensure that cargo transportation runs smoothly and without interruption, increasing the turnover rate of vessels and reducing waiting time at the port.
Maintaining deep and wide shipping channels is key to the competitiveness of seaports. Major ports around the world, such as Singapore, Rotterdam, and Los Angeles, maintain wide and deep shipping channels to accommodate large vessels. This allows these ports to attract large amounts of cargo from around the world while reducing shipping costs.
In Vietnam, ports like Cai Mep, Cat Lai, and Lach Huyen have invested in maintaining and upgrading their shipping channels to accommodate large container ships. This has helped Vietnam reduce reliance on intermediary ports abroad and improve the competitiveness of its seaports in the region.
When seaports can accommodate large vessels, logistics costs are minimized, facilitating export businesses. Maintaining deep and wide shipping channels enables Vietnam’s goods to quickly access international markets, particularly key export products such as textiles, seafood, electronics, and agricultural products.
Additionally, ports capable of handling large vessels contribute to the development of the logistics industry, create job opportunities, and contribute to the national GDP.
An important factor in maintaining deep and wide shipping channels is ensuring maritime safety. This helps reduce the risk of collisions, grounding, or unforeseen accidents. This is particularly important for ports with high maritime traffic density, such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, and Vung Tau, where hundreds of ships dock each day.
Maintaining deep and wide shipping channels ensures that ships can navigate safely and easily, reducing accidents and protecting both the port and the vessels during transportation.
