Michelle Teo Channel NewsAsia 4 Jul 19;
SINGAPORE: A caisson, a watertight structure about the height of a 10-storey HDB block, was installed at the site of the upcoming Tuas mega port on Thursday (Jul 4) to mark the start of its second phase of development.
At 387 hectares, this phase is the largest of the total four to be reclaimed. When fully operational, it will feature 21 deep-water berths, offering a capacity of 21 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo annually.
The completed Tuas mega port will be able to handle up to 65 million TEUs a year.
A total of 227 of the caissons will eventually be transported offshore and sunk into the water to form part of the wharf structure, which will span 8.6km.
BOOST FOR NAVIGATIONAL SAFETY
Senior Minister of State for Transport, Dr Lam Pin Min, said that with the expected increase in vessel arrivals, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is growing its capabilities in ensuring navigational safety.
“MPA will be enhancing its seaward capabilities by phasing in a fleet of next-generation patrol craft from February 2020 over the next three years," said Dr Lam, who launched the first caisson on Thursday.
"All seven new patrol crafts will be equipped with enhanced navigation, surveillance and response capabilities for search and rescue, man-overboard, oil spills and ferry incidents," he added.
The first six are scheduled to be commissioned in February next year, while a larger craft will be launched by the first quarter of 2021.
The Tuas Terminal will be developed in four phases over 30 years, with the Phase Two reclamation work targeted for completion by 2027.
It will be the first terminal in Singapore to be physically and digitally integrated with the wider supply chain network. This is to allow stakeholders along the supply chain – vessels, cargo owners and logistics service providers – to better coordinate cargo flow.
As part of these digitalisation efforts, the first phase of MPA’s Maritime Single Window portal will be launched by the end of the year. The portal aims to make it easier for vessels to obtain port and regulatory clearances, and allow for seamless information exchange between port players.
Dr Lam added that the relocation of the current four port facilities in Tanjong Pagar, Pasir Panjang, Keppel and Pulau Brani would also help to ensure connectivity.
“The proximity of Tuas Terminal to the industrial hinterland and the shipyards forms a more integrated supply chain ecosystem. This could reduce logistics cost and create new opportunities for synergistic port-industry activities. The possibilities are immense," he said.
Source: CNA/ga(hs)
Construction work begins for second phase of Tuas mega port
Zhaki Abdullah Straits Times 4 Jul 19;
SINGAPORE - Construction work on the second phase of the Tuas mega port began on Thursday (July 4), with the installation of the first of the concrete structures that form the wharves.
A total of 227 concrete structures or caissons, each weighing 13,000 tonnes, will be installed over the next eight years to form the largest of four wharves.
Almost 400ha of land will be reclaimed for the second phase, which will be able to handle 21 million 20ft equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo annually.
In April, the last of 221 caissons for the first phase of the mega-port project was installed.
Last year, a consortium of three firms - Penta Ocean Construction, Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Boskalis International - won a $1.46 billion contract to develop the second phase of the Tuas port.
Speaking at an event marking the installation of the caisson on Thursday, Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min noted that innovative methods are being used in the construction of the second phase.
These include the use of prefabricated steel bars for the base slab of the caisson, which reduces the need for construction and assembly on site as well as improves safety for those working under the steel bars.
"These innovative construction methods helped boost efficiency and productivity of the whole process," said Dr Lam, who is also Senior Minister of State for Health.
He added that drones may also be used to carry out surveys of the reclaimed land, reducing the need for labour-intensive manual surveying works.
He also announced that the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore's (MPA) current fleet of patrol vessels will be replaced by seven new patrol craft over the next three years.
The new craft will have enhanced navigation, surveillance and response capabilities to handle incidents that involve search and rescue or oil spills.
The first six vessels will be commissioned in February next year, while the seventh, larger vessel will be introduced by the first quarter of 2021.
The MPA will also add two patrol launches - a form of passenger craft - to its fleet, which are meant to keep the authority's surveyors safe as they conduct ship inspections.
Dr Lam also noted that as part of the digitalisation of Singapore's port, the first phase of the MPA's Maritime Single Window - a portal aimed at streamlining the processes of various agencies and easing port clearance for ships - will be launched by the end of this year.
When the new Tuas port is fully operational in the 2040s, it will replace existing facilities in Tanjong Pagar, Pasir Panjang, Keppel and Pulau Brani, and is expected to eventually handle some 65 million 20ft TEUs of cargo a year.
The relocation of the port to Tuas is something that will benefit industry, noted Dr Lam.
"The proximity of Tuas Terminal to the industrial hinterland and the shipyards forms a more integrated supply chain ecosystem," he said.
"This could reduce logistics cost, and create new opportunities for synergistic port-industry activities. The possibilities are immense."
