Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday sent an official dispatch to ministries and investors for construction of a hydropower system and a trans-Asia waterway route section on the Red River.

Waterway traffic on Red River. A section of a trans-Asia waterway route running through Viet Tri-Lao Cai will be built, which helps to ease road traffic and tap potentials of localities in the neighbourhood. — Photo baohaiquan.vn

The project connecting Viet Tri in Phu Tho Province with Lao Cai Province will be in the form of BOO (Build-Own-Operate).

The project will create a year-round waterway traffic route from Lao Cai Province to Hai Phong port city for ships between 400 tonnes and 600 tonnes and produce power up to 912kWh per year.

Up to seven ports of Pho Moi, Apatit and Quy Xa in Lao Cai Province, Van Phu in Yen Bai Province, Ngoc Thap and Co Tiet in northern Phu Tho Province, and the northern port in Ha Noi City will be built.

The construction of the ports will help to promote the development of industries including mineral, chemical, metallurgy, and the construction material industry, as well as tap the potential of localities in the neighbourhood.

The project to construct a hydropower system and a trans-Asia waterway route section running through Viet Tri-Lao Cai will also see great socio-economic benefits.

The project will create a momentum for socio-economic development for the northern mountainous provinces and help to ease road and railway traffic in Ha Noi-Lao Cai section, according to investors' report.

The project has an estimated investment of VND24, 500 billion (US$1.1 billion), Chairman of the board of Xuan Thien Company, Nguyen Van Thien said.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment will collaborate with Ministry of Transport and other relevant ministries and localities to prepare a project document and report to the Prime Minister. 

VNS