Cambodia
2.5 Cambodia Waterways Assessment
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Historically, inland water transport (IWT) has been the most reliable and conventional form of transport in Cambodia. Although it was thought before the 1970s that road and rail transport might replace it, it is now clear that IWT still remains the most important traditional and most useful mode of transport.

Cambodia’s navigable inland waterways measure a total length of 1,750 km. The Mekong mainstream accounts for 30% of the total, the Tonle Sap River 15%, the Bassac River 5%, and other tributaries 50%. Year-round navigation is possible through 780 km long and a third of the width of the river. Inadequate dredging and navigation aids have been impediments to increased use of these waterways.

For the 102 km stretch between the Vietnam border and Phnom Penh, the bends of the river prevent the passage of vessels more than 110 m long. For existing cargo vessel designs this probably means a limitation of about 7,000 DWT. Boats up to 150-mt capacity can be used as far as Kratie. Larger boats can be used at high water. At low water the 600 MT boat can only carry 80 MT to Kratie while the 80-130 MT boats can usually carry 50-60 MT. Between Kratie and Stung Treng (120 km) 50 MT boats can pass without difficulty in the rainy season but at low water levels the rocky conditions limit the passage to smaller vessels of up to 20-MT. Above Stung Treng to Veunkham just across the Lao border only small boats can pass with some 10 to 15 MT at low water and perhaps 50 MT at high water.

On the Tonle Sap river the draft is about 1 m in the dry season but can reach up to 4 m in the rainy season. There is a water depth of only 0.5 m at the entrance to the Great Lake in the dry season. Some traffic between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, for example goes by road from Phnom Penh to the Lake and then proceeds by boat at Kampong Chhnang or Battambang provinces. A high water, boats up to 150 MT capacity can be used between Phnom Penh and the Lake.

The main other waterway of importance for commercial river transport is the Bassac which links Phnom Penh with Chau Doc, the capital of Vietnam's An Giang Province. This can be used by 100 MT boats and it also has a network of tributaries and canals mostly in Takeo province which can take up to 100 MT boats at high water but loads can be limited to 10 MT at low water. Most vessels on this network are in the 20-30 MT range and are used for trade between Takeo and the Vietnam delta area.

Source: http://www.jterc.or.jp/koku/koku_semina/pdf/100910_seminer_Vutha.pdf

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.

Company Information

For more information on waterway company contact details, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List.

Passenger Carrying Capacity


MEKONG Waterway J.S.Co.

Representative Office of Mekong Marine Corporation

Indochina Joint Stock Co.

Company Fluviale du Mekong

Viet Princess Cruiser Corporation

Number of Passenger Vessels < 20 Passengers




1


Number of Passenger Vessels < 50 Passengers




3

3

Number of Passenger Vessels < 100 Passengers

3

4


1


Number of Passenger Vessels > 100 Passengers



3



Passenger Carrying Capacity

Container Barges


SOVERIEGN BASE L.H
CO., LTD.

BRACH OF GEMADEPT COMPANY LIMITED

NEW PORT CYPRESS J.S. CO., LTD.

GLOBAL LOGISTICS
SERVICE CO., LTD.

TAN CANG
WATERWAYS

Number of Barges

2

7

9

3

5

Tonnage / Volume Carrying Capacity

(TEUs)

GRT=687
Max: 112TEUs

Min. GRT=1519
with 160TEUs
& Max. GRT=1964
with 250TEUs

Min. GRT=1006
with 128TEUs
& Max. GRT=1988
with 268TEUs

Min. GRT=993
with 128TEUs
& Max. GRT=1925
with 200TEUs

Min. GRT=1475
with 198TEUs
& Max. GRT=1763
with 198TEUs

Oil Tankers


CTY CP VANTAI D. THAP

SOKICO.

SAO VIET Co.

SAIGON
MEKONG

CON TY TUNH HAI LINH

Number of Oil Tankers

4

6

4

4

2

Tonnage / Volume

Carrying Capacity (MT / m3)

Max: 298GRT

Min: 950 – Max: 2,500T

-Min: 166GRT
-Max: 660GRT

Min: 737 – Max: 1,400T

-Min: 216GRT
-Max: 299GRT

Min: 1,014 – Max: 1,989T


-Min: 216GRT
-Max: 299GRT

Min: 942 -
Max: 2,876T


-Min: 1146GRT
-Max:1146GRT

Min: 1,697 -
Max: 2,402T

Tugs


VINASHIN



 

 

Number of Tugs

1





Tonnage / Volume

Carrying Capacity (MT / m3)

35

490 GRT





Travel Time Matrix

Travel Time from Main port to other major Ports on Barges


Phnom Penh

 (Main port)

Kampong Cham

(Mekong river)

Kratie

 (Mekong river)

Stung Treng

(Mekong river)

Phnom Penh

 (Main port)

Phnom Penh
(Main port)


16 hrs

34hrs

16hrs


Kampong Chhanang
(Ba
ssac river)

15 hrs

32 hrs

50 hrs

N/A


Chnok Trou
(Tonle Sap river)

21 hrs

N/A

N/A

N/A


Krakor
(Bassac river) 

6hrs

N/A

N/A

N/A


Siem Reap
(
Tonle Sap river)

38 hrs

55 hrs

73 hrs

N/A



The durations mentioned above are the estimated time only. The actual durations are based on main several factors such as:

  • Types of ship: there are many types of ship running on these routes and those ships have different weight, size, and engine power, which cause the different traveling time. Empty ships can travel faster than full loaded ships.
  • Waterway conditions: The speed of the ship is also according to water draft, which has a significant difference between dry season, 4.5m, and rainy reason, 5.5m. Mekong river has a noticeable waterflow characteristic. When the season changes, the direction of the waterflow also reversely changes, which affects the speed of the ship when it travels contrast waterflow.

Key Routes

Key Route Information (Domestic)


From Phnom Penh (PNH) to Kampong Cham

From PNH to

Siem Reap

From PNH to

Stung Treng

From PNH to

Kampong Chnang

From PNH

to Kratie

Total Distance (km)

106 km

252 km

N/A

100 km

224 km

Width (m)

N/A

Broadest: 1.5 Km
Narrowest: 150m

Broadest: 1.5 Km
Narrowest: 40m

N//A

N/A

River Flow

(m³ / second)

0.5 – 4 knot

0.5 – 2.8 knot

0.5 – 4.5 knot

0.5 – 3 knot

0.5 – 4 knot

Seasonal Effects

Low water

Low water

Low water

Low water

Low water

Maximum Weight and

Size of Vessels

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Regular Traffic

Passenger / Cargo

Passenger/ Cargo

Passenger/ Cargo

Passenger/ Cargo

Passenger/ Cargo

Passenger/ Cargo

Companies Operating

Along the Route

05 Companies

05 Companies

N/A

05 Companies

N/A

Security Concerns

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Main Ports

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh

Port Information

Key Port Information


Multipurpose Terminal (TS3)

Container Terminal (LM17)

Tonle Bet Terminal (UM2)

Multipurpose Terminal
(LM26)

Multipurpose Terminal
(TS11)

Location

#649, Preah Sisowath (Street 1), Sangkat Sras Chork, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh

Kandal Leu Village, Banteay Dek Commune, Kien Svay District, Kandal Province

Doun Mau Leu Village, Tonle Bet commune, Thbong Khmom district, Thbong Khmom Province

Koh Roka Village,
Koh Roka Commune, Peam Chor District,
Kandal Province

National Road5,
Spean Khpos Village, Kilometer 6 Commune, Reusseyko District,
Phnom Penh

Contact Information

010 444 589/
010 444 068

010 444 044/
010 444 389

010 444 378/
010 444 060

010 444 575/
061 444 244

010 444 358/
061 444 666

Connections with Other

Transport Means

Road

Road

Rail (in the near future)

Road

Road


Road

Rail (in the
near future)

Storage Capacity (m2 and m3)

See port information

77,056 m2

N/A

N/A

N/A

Handling Equipment

See port information

See port information

-1 Crane 100T on pontoon

-1 Crane 100T on yard

4 Conveyers,  for general cargo.

1 Crane 100T

Customs Clearance Available

Yes

Yes

Yes

N/A

Yes, (Custom clearance at LM17)

Other Comments

N/A



 

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