Challenge calls for revolutionary designs from participants
Jonathan Kwok Straits Times 28 Apr 12;
A LONG-AWAITED contest with a US$1 million (S$1.25 million) top prize to design a new-age container port was unveiled yesterday.
The Next Generation Container Port Challenge, as the competition is called, had been flagged last October, sparking about 70 expressions of interest from more than 10 countries.
The heightened level of interest was apparent at the official launch yesterday at the Mandarin Oriental Singapore.
'This challenge dares participants to play the role of a port planner and submit revolutionary designs that can achieve a quantum leap in innovation, efficiency, productivity and sustainability for container ports,' said Captain M. Segar, assistant chief executive (operations) of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), a co-organiser alongside the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI).
He noted that the fundamental design of container ports have not changed much since they were introduced about 40 years ago.
But global container traffic has been growing at an annual rate of 5 per cent to 7 per cent over the past decade, leading some experts to estimate that this could lead to a doubling of global container trade within 10 to 15 years. Planners also have to take into account increasingly large container ships, economic volatility and environmental concerns.
'Given the long gestation period for port development, this means that ports have to start making plans today to accommodate tomorrow's growth in container volumes,' said Capt Segar.
Participants in the contest will have to consider several operating specifications, such as an annual handling capacity of at least 20 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), round-the-clock operations and a 90 per cent berth on arrival for ships.
Individuals, companies or research institutions, based here or overseas, can take part. Consortiums can also be formed.
The winning team will get a US$1 million cash prize and there can be up to six extra commendation awards of US$100,000.
Grants of $5 million have been set aside for deserving teams to pursue further research. The winning proposal will be announced at next year's Singapore Maritime Week.
Details of the contest can be found on the SMI's website.
Some observers said the port challenge could throw up ideas for a new port development in Tuas.
The land lease at the port terminals in Tanjong Pagar, Keppel and Pulau Brani expires in 2027, and the Government's Economic Strategies Committee has recommended the development of a new waterfront city in Tanjong Pagar after that.
It also suggested looking into a long-term proposal to develop a consolidated port in Tuas, with enough handling capacity to ensure ongoing competitiveness.
One likely entrant is Halcrow, a London-based infrastructure consultant that is a unit of conglomerate CH2M Hill.
Mr Julian Johanson-Brown, director of ports and maritime at Halcrow, flew into Singapore just to attend the official launch.
'When I first saw the challenge in London, I just couldn't stop thinking about it,' he said. 'You get caught in the day job, you think about providing solutions for your current clients, and there's often little time to really explore this kind of opportunity.'
Yesterday also marked the official end of the Singapore Maritime Week (SMW), although some events will continue into this weekend.
About 40,000 participants have taken part in the 25 events, including conferences, networking and public outreach sessions, up from last year's 30,000 participants.
'A good range of issues has been discussed at the dialogue sessions and conferences, further resonating Singapore's importance and growth as a major maritime thought capital,' said MPA chief executive Lam Yi Young.
Mr Patrick Phoon, president of the Singapore Shipping Association, said that SMW is 'fast gaining worldwide recognition of being a bustling hive of maritime activities' and 'delegates from far and wide travel here just to be a part of it'.
Container port of the future making waves
Academics to industry specialists from many countries excited about Next Generation Container Port Challenge
Lynn Kan Business Times 28 Apr 12;
A SINGAPORE competition seeking "revolutionary" ideas for a future container port is anything but a locals-only affair - even as it is concerned with very Singaporean issues like land scarcity, a shrinking labour pool and keeping ahead of other Asian ports.
Indeed, the Next Generation Container Port Challenge (NGCPC) has kept the barriers to entry low even as the stakes are high - a cool US$1 million in top prize money.
Its organisers, the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), have decided that all nationalities from all backgrounds - interested individuals, industry professionals from within and without the port industry and academia - are welcome to the table.
The challenge comes as the demands of container shipping change, with traffic expected to double in the next 10-15 years and larger container ships requiring deeper drafts, longer berths and wider channels hit the water.
"To be future-ready, the industry needs to challenge conventional thinking and explore radical new ideas for future container ports," said Capt M Segar, MPA's assistant chief executive (operations). "Given the long gestation period for port development, this means that ports have to start making plans today to accommodate tomorrow's growth in container volumes."
Even before the challenge was revealed publicly yesterday, interest gained ground in over 10 countries, including South Africa, United Kingdom, the United States and South Korea.
London-based Julian Johanson-Brown, director of ports and maritime at Halcrow Group, was one of those who booked himself a plane ticket to Singapore to hear the specifics of the NGCPC at the Mandarin Oriental yesterday.
Contenders will have to come up with a concept for a port confined to a land area of 2.5 square kilometres - slightly smaller than the existing Keppel Terminal - and able to handle 20 million twenty-foot containers. Last year, Singapore ports handled nearly 30 million twenty-foot containers altogether.
Ideas will also be judged on efficiency, productivity and environmental and financial sustainability criteria.
From the word go, academics from the National University of Singapore's engineering faculty, Lee Soo Hay and Chew Ek Peng, were doing back-of-the-envelope calculations of the possible and the impossible. They also started planning potential tie-ups with academics from overseas universities and even their contacts among equipment makers to figure out what type of port infrastructure should go into their plan.
"We need different people with different skill sets and different ideas. When we come together, we may be able to brainstorm with a completely new idea," said Prof Lee, department head (graduate studies and research) of industrial and systems engineering.
The deadline for registration on the Container Port Challenge's website (www.maritimeinstitute/portchallenge) is July 31, while proposals are due by Dec 31, 2012. Up to seven ideas will be shortlisted in Feburary 2013.
The NGCPC is not a winner-takes-all competition. The six groups which do not win the top prize may still walk away with US$100,000 in commendation money.
Other promising proposals are eligible for R&D grants, for which the MPA and SMI have set aside up to $5 million.
To Mr Johanson-Brown, there can be no "loser" in the race to the finish.
"We can't lose because the industry will benefit from our thoughts. This is not about making money, it's about providing intellect and vision for the future of the industry," he said.
