New contract for the CNR/EGIS/VIPO for the improvement of the waterway on the Red River, Vietnam

A project that will promote inland waterway transport and thus limit greenhouse gas emissions

The Red River Delta, located in Northen Vietnam, constitutes an interconnected transport network currently allowing river transport between the outlying provinces of Hanoi and the port of Haiphong. After the first works of the NDTDP project carried out between 2013 and 2017, the so-called “DNC” (Day - Ninh Co connecting Canal) project is one of the most important transport projects underway in waterways development in Vietnam. It improves the existing river traffic template, connects the major port areas of Ninh Binh and Viet Tri to each other, and opens the entire delta to the river-sea transport route in a sustainable manner. It is the last link in the overall project to modernize the delta's waterways, in particular by opening up to Quan Ninh and the sea routes of the ASEAN region and China. The DNC project consists of the construction of 3 key infrastructures:

• A connecting channel of approximately 1 km long and 100m wide between 2 arms of the Red River (Day River and Ninh-Co River) near their respective estuaries,
• A large-gauge lock 170m long by 17m wide,
• A road bridge allowing the existing main road to cross the canal and the lock.

This new canal will allow ships upto 3,000 Deadweight tonnage capacity to connect the ports of Ninh Binh and Quan Ninh by river-sea route, reducing routing time by around 12 hours, and opening major port accesses to cargo ships. heavy gauge.

The development of the waterway will thus contribute to efforts to limit GHG emissions due to transport activities in Vietnam.

Fruitful cooperation

Supporting the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport since 2011 on its waterway development projects, CNR is the leader of a consulting consortium with 2 co-contractors: Egis "Structures et Environnement" and VIPO.

The consortium led by CNR is in charge of the entire project supervision during the construction phase, which includes, in addition to the technical monitoring of the works, the coordination of health, safety and environment aspects as well as the supervision of the socio-economic aspects and objectives of the project.

• Egis is participating in technical assistance of this operation with the mobilization of two experts in structure and bridge as well as a specialist in social development. Egis will provide its expertise in the simultaneous construction of the lock and the bridge.
   
• The Vietnamese engineering consultant VIPO is in charge of providing a team of Nationals Experts and site engineers, specialists in environment, health/safety and socio-economy, as well as the logistic organization of the offices and compliance with Vietnamese construction standards.

Societal and environmental commitments to support the project

Beyond the "classic" mission of project management, monitoring and coordination of the works phase, this engineering contract includes an important component of Health / Safety, Environment and Socio-economic coordination applied according to the Bank's program and Vietnamese regulation.

Health, Safety & Social component:

• Monitoring of compliance with international and national standards related to the environment, health and safety by the companies in charge of the work;
• Implementation and animation in partnership with a Vietnamese NGO of an HIV and communicable diseases prevention plan for the employees of the companies involved as well as for the residents of the project.

Environmental aspect

• Verification of compliance by construction companies with the environmental management plan based on World Bank and Vietnamese standards related to the environment;
• Transmission of knowledge in Eco engineering;
• Participation in the fight against the salinization of agricultural land;
• Restoration of reed beds and wetlands in the project rights-of-way;

Socio-economic component;

• Study and monitoring of social risks linked to the influx of workers in the region;
• Advice to the government in setting up specific social operations related to the project;
• Skills transfer missions;
• Verification of compliance with the Land Acquisition and Relocation Action Plan;
• Verification of the preservation of cultural and religious heritage in and near the project rights-of-way.
   

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