The Vietnamese government has approved a joint bid involving APM Terminals for a new container terminal just to the north of Danang, the country’s third-largest city. 

Maersk subsidiary APM Terminals is working with local infrastructure company Hateco Group to develop the $1.7bn Lien Chieu Container Port, having been awarded a 50-year lease. 

Phase one of the development will see a terminal emerge with a 4m teu capacity. The deepsea port is designed to eventually house eight container berths with 2,750 m total quay length and the capability to handle vessels up to 18,000 teu, with an ultimate capacity of around 5.7m teu annually. 

The two companies have worked on other projects around the country in the past, including in Haiphong to the north. 

Vietnam is one of Asia’s top places for ports under construction at present to match its booming exports scene, which has seen many existing terminals work beyond their operating capacity.