In the first seven months of 2024, the Port of Singapore handled 23.82 million TEUs, reflecting a notable 6.1% increase in container volumes compared to the same period last year.
Most container vessels completed their simultaneous cargo handling and bunkering within a day of arrival, with the average wait time for container berths reduced to less than one day by July 2024.
These improvements are the result of initiatives by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and PSA Singapore, including the commissioning of new berths at Tuas Port, reactivating berths and yard spaces at Keppel Terminal, expanding manpower, and coordinating with shipping and feeder lines on operational scheduling.
Additionally, MPA and PSA Singapore completed a successful four-month trial with six barge operators, allowing the night movement of line-towed container barges to and from Pasir Panjang Terminal (PPT) between 7:00 pm and 6:30 am.
This initiative, part of MPA’s ongoing efforts to optimize resources, reduce business costs and turnaround times, and ensure safety, represents a change from previous regulations that permitted night movements only at Brani and Keppel Terminals, where navigational traffic is less complex than at PPT.
Moreover, the initiative aims to make full use of nighttime hours to move containers on barges between the Port of Singapore and neighbouring ports, including those for transhipment.
Increasing the number of containers delivered on barges throughout the day at PPT will improve regional port connectivity, boost efficiency, shorten the time container and feeder vessels spend at berth, and reduce the need to transport containers between land terminals. Each line-towed barge can carry around 300 TEUs.
To ensure the safe movement of these barges at night at PPT, MPA will enforce additional safety measures, which were successfully tested during the trial. These measures include mandatory pilotage for barges, restrictions on towing line lengths, and close monitoring of barge movements via MPA’s vessel traffic management system.
All night movements of line-towed barges to and from PPT will require prior approval from MPA. Barge operators have been briefed on the safety protocols and approval process for nighttime barge movements at PPT.
