Posted on August 7, 2026
The project involves dredging and maintaining the channel for large-tonnage vessels entering the Hau River to ensure the maintenance of sufficient channel depth, facilitating safe and efficient navigation for watercraft.
According to the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration, the project to dredge the Hau River channel for large-tonnage vessels has been granted a permit for seabed dumping by the competent authority. Currently, the project is in the process of carrying out investment preparation procedures.
The project is included in the 2026 Maritime Infrastructure Maintenance Plan approved by the Ministry of Construction , aiming to ensure the maintenance of channel depth, serving safe and efficient navigation for vessels, and enhancing the competitiveness of the Mekong Delta port cluster.
According to the approved plan, the project will be implemented over 3 years (2026 – 2028) with a total dredging volume of approximately 7.3 million m³. Of this, over 2.4 million m³ is expected to be dredged in 2026. The submersion work will take place over 3 years (2026 – 2028). The total investment for the project is estimated at over 1,600 billion VND.
The project aims to dredge the channel to a standard depth of -6.5 m (Nautical Chart elevation system), with a width of 70 m. All dredged material will be dumped into the sea.
The shipping channel for large cargo ships entering the Hau River will be maintained in the direction from the sea inland, stretching from Duyen Hai ward ( Vinh Long province) to the intersection of Quan Chanh Bo Canal and Hau River in Dai An commune (Vinh Long province).
According to the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration, the Hau River is an important international waterway in the lower Mekong River basin. Ships from the East Sea pass through the Dinh An estuary, upstream on the Hau River to the ports of Can Tho and My Thoi in Vietnam, and Phnom Penh in Cambodia, and vice versa.
However, the main channel through the Dinh An estuary into the Hau River is frequently silted up, undergoes significant seasonal changes, and is difficult to improve, only allowing ships with a tonnage of less than 5,000 DWT to enter and exit. Therefore, it has not met the requirements for maritime transport to serve the socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta region.
In 2007, the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction) approved the “Investment Project for the Construction of a Maritime Channel for Large-Tonnage Ships into the Hau River” with a total length of 52.6 km, comprising four sections: a 16.2 km section of the Hau River (from the Quan Chanh Bo Canal upstream), a 20 km section of the existing Quan Chanh Bo Canal, an 8.7 km section of the bypass canal, and a 7.7 km section of the sea channel.
The waterway, which was under construction from 2009 to January 2017, has been opened and put into use.
“However, every year, the rivers and canals in the Mekong Delta receive a very large amount of sediment, leading to the gradual silting of maritime channels, failing to meet the designed channel standards, including the maritime channel for large-tonnage ships entering the Hau River,” the management agency stated.
Therefore, dredging and maintaining the channel according to the original design standards is essential to ensure maritime safety for ships entering and exiting the channel, and to maintain its capacity to receive large-tonnage vessels.
Maintaining the waterway helps ensure a steady flow of ships annually, contributing to the development and improvement of port infrastructure in the area, enhancing the competitiveness of port operating businesses, and helping to reduce transport pressure on the road transport system.
