The Cambodian Ministry of Public Works and Transport has held a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction at the new International Multi-Purpose Logistics and Port Centre in the southwestern province of Kampot.

The project is estimated to cost $1.5 billion and will be built on a total area of 600 hectares, with a depth of 15 meters to accommodate vessels weighing up to 100,000 tons.

The Minister of Public Works and Transport, Sun Chanthol, spoke at the ceremony on 5 May to praise the contribution that the facility will bring to Cambodia’s development.

The International Multi-Purpose Logistics and Port Centre aims to improve efficiency for traders and investors in exporting agricultural, industrial, and fishing products in local and global markets – and boost Cambodia’s economic growth in the process.

“The investment project to develop the Kampot Logistics and Multipurpose Centre will be another large and deep-sea port in Cambodia and an international modern port in the Asean region,” said Chanthol.

“This mega-project includes a container terminal, a special economic zone, a free trade area, a logistics hub, an oil refinery, and a terminal for tourist vessels, among others.”

The project will be implemented in three phases, the first of which is set to begin operations in 2025.

The seaport will have a total handling capacity of 300,000 TEU in 2025 and up to 600,000 TEU by 2030.