Portcoast Successfully Deploys Digital Twin at Cai Mep - Thi Vai: A New Milestone for Vietnam's Digital Seaports

By dttc.sggp.org.vn - 16/07/2026

According to Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, General Director of Portcoast, developing a national digital seaport system is a strategic initiative to enhance the competitiveness of Vietnam’s maritime economy. A digital seaport consists of two key components: digital infrastructure and a digital port operations management system. Technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Scan to BIM, BIM, and ArcGIS are being applied to develop a Digital Twin for seaports. The Digital Twin enables real-time simulation of the entire port operation, from vessel traffic and cargo handling to emergency response scenarios, supporting planning and optimizing operational efficiency. Portcoast has already deployed a Digital Twin for the Cai Mep – Thi Vai deep-water port system. Mr. Pham Anh Tuan also noted that many port operators are integrating their port operations management systems with the Port Community System (PCS) to facilitate seamless data sharing among logistics companies, shipping lines, and government authorities. Digital seaports will improve transparency, shorten administrative processing times, and enhance the reliability of the supply chain.

Creating additional resources for green transition

One of the typical projects is the first electric barge route in Vietnam implemented by Gemadept Corporation in collaboration with CMA CGM (a leading French multinational transport and logistics group) on the Cai Mep - Thi Vai route.

Mr. Pham Quoc Long, Deputy General Director of Gemadept, said that with each 180km round trip, the barge helps reduce about 778 tons of CO2 per year and has a carrying capacity of about 50,000 TEU. To serve the operation of the electric barge, Gemalink Port will invest in a solar power system with an output of about 1GWh of renewable electricity per year, both supplying charging stations and contributing to CMA CGM's net-zero emission target by 2050. This project is expected to operate in 2027.

According to Mr. Pham Hong Diep, Chairman and General Director of SHINEC, green logistics is not only low-emission transport but must be integrated throughout the supply chain according to the circular economy model, from industrial parks and seaports to multimodal transport systems. Currently, the biggest difficulty in developing green logistics is investment capital. The company expects that the logistics financial center at the Vietnam International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City will create additional resources for the green transition process.

From the perspective of seaport enterprises, Ms. Ngo Thi Thanh Vy, Deputy General Director of QTM International Port, shared that the unit has included ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) standards in its development strategy right from the early stages.

Researching and applying solutions to ensure green energy and sustainable connectivity are identified as key tasks to build a green port model, meeting international market requirements and moving towards sustainable development of the seaport and logistics industry.

Building a digital maritime financial ecosystem

According to many businesses, logistics management today is not just about exchanging data but also applying artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and automation for real-time management. Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, General Director of Portcoast, commented that building a national digital seaport is a strategic step to enhance the competitiveness of Vietnam's marine economy.

A digital seaport consists of 2 components: digital infrastructure and a digital operational management system. Technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), Scan to BIM, BIM, and ArcGIS are being applied to build a "Digital Twin" model for seaports.

This model allows real-time simulation of all port operations, from vessel traffic and cargo handling to emergency situations, supporting planning and operational optimization. Portcoast has currently deployed the Digital Twin for the Cai Mep - Thi Vai deep-water port system.

Also according to Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, many port enterprises are connecting their operational management systems with the Port Community System to interconnect data among logistics enterprises, shipping lines, and state management agencies. Digital seaports will help increase transparency, shorten procedure processing time, and improve supply chain reliability.

The Ministry of Construction is proposing many incentive mechanisms in the draft Maritime and Inland Waterway Code of Vietnam. Investors developing green seaports, green inland waterways, and clean-fuel vessels may be exempted from or enjoy reduced land lease fees, access preferential credit capital, along with many other support policies.

The combination of policy mechanisms, digital transformation, and green logistics development is expected to create a foundation for Vietnam's seaport system to develop in a modern, smart, and sustainable direction. Thereby, enhancing the competitiveness of the logistics industry, making the marine economy an important growth driver in the international integration process.

Along with the seaport digitization process, Ho Chi Minh City is building a digital maritime financial ecosystem following the International Maritime Financial Center model. Recently, the Executive Agency of the Vietnam International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City and Gemadept signed a strategic cooperation memorandum of understanding, and simultaneously introduced the Maritime Community Information System and a maritime trading floor using blockchain technology.

Mr. Pham Quoc Long, Deputy General Director of Gemadept, informed that one of the biggest bottlenecks of the logistics industry today is the dependence on paper documents, causing prolonged verification processes, errors, and increased costs. The maritime blockchain platform will digitize commercial documents, apply smart contracts, and automate transactions.