Reclamation works for the first phase of Tuas Port have been completed. This marks a major milestone for the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in developing Singapore’s next-generation port. Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Transport and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, joined by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Transport, was at Tuas Port today to announce the completion of works for Phase 1.

2     Since March 2015,  MPA’s appointed main contractor ‘Dredging International Asia Pacific – Daelim Industrial Joint Venture Pte Ltd (DDJV)’ and supervision consultant ‘Surbana Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd’ have been working on the project, which entailed soil improvement works for 414 hectares of land, including 294 hectares measuring 412 football fields of newly reclaimed land; the fabrication and installation of 221 10-storey tall caissons each weighing 15,000 tons to form 8.6km of seawall; and deepening of sea beds to cater for larger ships of the future. The project involved a total of 34 million man hours, with the support of over 450 companies.

3     Tuas Port Phase 1 has 21 deep-water berths that can handle 20 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually. Singapore’s port operator, PSA, is on target to operationalise the first two berths in Tuas Port Phase 1 by the end of this year.

4     Today’s hybrid event at Tuas Port was held in conjunction with MPA’s 25th Anniversary. Some 150 guests comprising Tuas Port project partners, industry, unions, research community, and agencies, attended the event onsite. They were joined by another 140 guests who participated in the event virtually, including students from the institutes of higher learning undertaking maritime-related disciplines who joined in the celebrations from the Singapore Maritime Gallery. Today’s event was also marked by MPA’s next-generation patrol vessels’ water-jet show and the sounding of horns.

5     Mr Iswaran and guests toured the exhibition that showcased the innovations and sustainable practices used for the reclamation, the future of port operations such as the digital port ecosystem and integrated port operations, as well as MPA’s partnerships with the unions and industry. Mr Iswaran tried on the HoloLens to experience the simulation of mitigating land and marine traffic congestions during the construction of Tuas Port that was developed by the Centre of Excellence in Modelling and Simulation for Next Generation Ports. The guests also witnessed a live demonstration by ‘YJP Surveyors’ on drone surveying with LiDAR technology powered by a 5G modem solution by the A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research.

6     Speaking at the event, Mr Iswaran said, “The completion of Phase 1 reclamation for Tuas Port is a significant milestone, demonstrating our resilience amidst adversity, and affirming Singapore’s status as a reliable global hub port trusted by partners. It also signals Singapore’s readiness for the future.  I thank our partners for their hard work and tenacity in the face of adversity, and congratulate MPA on its 25 years of stewardship.”

7     Phase 2’s reclamation works are ongoing as scheduled. The planning for Phase 3 has also commenced. When completed in the 2040s over four phases, Tuas Port will be capable of handling 65 million TEUs annually.

8     Tuas Port will be an automated, intelligent and sustainable port. The port will have electrified automated yard cranes and driverless automated guided vehicles that will transport containers between the yard and wharf. MPA will also harness digital technologies such as a state-of-art vessel traffic management system and digitalPORT@SGTM, a one-stop portal for port clearances and other regulatory transactions, as well as just-in-time services to enhance efficiency of port operations and reduce the turnaround time of ships.

9     50 maritime personnel were also given the newly created MaritimeSG Care Awards today. Developed by MPA with the support of the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), and Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS), the awards recognised them for rising to the challenges and demonstrating excellence in care and support for their peers and customers during this pandemic. They have been nominated by their employers and peers for their hard work and efforts which have enabled the maritime sector, including the port, to continue operations despite the pandemic to support global trade and supply chains.

10    Mr Chee presented the MaritimeSG Care Excellence Awards to 10 award recipients at the ceremony at Tuas Port today. Another 40 maritime personnel will receive the MaritimeSG Care Commendation Award, and 5 organisations namely SSA, SMOU, SOS, Singapore Maritime Academy and The Mission to Seafarers Singapore will receive the MaritimeSG Care Partner Award.

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Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Transport, presented the MaritimeSG Care Excellence Award to 10 recipients.