Port of Singapore

The Port of Singapore refers to the collective facilities and terminals that conduct maritime trade handling functions in Singapore's harbours and which handle Singapore's shipping. Currently the World's second busiest port in terms of total shipping tonnage, it also handles a quarter of the world's shipping containers as the world's busiest container port, and half of the world's annual supply of crude oil. In terms of total cargo tonnage handled, it is second only to Shanghai. Thousands of ships drop anchor in the harbour, connecting the port to over 600 other ports in 123 countries and spread over six continents.

The Port of Singapore is not a mere economic boon, but an economic necessity due to the fact that Singapore is lacking in land and natural resources. The Port is critical for importing natural resources, and then later re-exporting them after they have been refined and shaped in some manner, for example wafer fabrication or oil refining to generate revenue. Only then can the service industry such as hospitality services typical of a port of call, for example, restocking a ship's food and water supplies, take their role. Straits of Johor is currently impassable by all ships as the Johor-Singapore Causeway links Singapore to the mainland.

History

The port's activities was originally centered around the mouth of the Singapore River around what was called the Old Harbour. However, it was the deep and sheltered waters in the nearby Keppel Harbour which would excite Stamford Raffles enough to establish a new colony for Britain in the then sparsely populated village .

By the 1980s, maritime trading activity had ceased in the vicinity of the River except in the form of maritime passenger transport, as other terminals and harbours took over its role. Keppel Harbour is now home to three container terminals. Other terminals were built in Pasir Panjang, Jurong as well as Sembawang in the north. Today, the port operations in Singapore are handled by two players: PSA International (formerly the Port of Singapore Authority) and Jurong Port, who collectively operate 6 container terminals and 3 general purpose terminals around Singapore.

Operations

The port is the world's busiest port in terms of shipping tonnage handled, with 1.15 billion gross tons (GT) handled in 2005. In terms of cargo tonnage, Singapore is ranked second behind Shanghai with 423 million tons handled. The port retains its position as the world's busiest hub for transhipment traffic in 2005, and is also the world's biggest bunkering hub, with 25 million tonnes sold in the same year. ^*

Singapore is ranked first globally in 2005 in terms of containerised traffic, with 23.2 million Twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) handled. High growth in containerised traffic has seen the port overtaking Hong Kong since the first quarter of 2005 ^*, and has led the race ever since, with an estimated 19,335 TEUs handled in the year up to October, compared to 18,640 TEUs handled in Hong Kong in the same period. A rise in regional traffic consolidating the port's position in Southeast Asia, and increases in transhipment traffic using the strategic East Asia-Europe route via Singapore helped the port to emerge tops at the end of the year, a title it had not held since overtaking Hong Kong once in 1998.

Operators

PSA Singapore's Container facilities includes:

Container berths: 41
Quay length: 11,754 m
Area: 3.89 km²
Max draft: 16 m
Quay cranes: 131
Designed capacity: 22,600 kTEU

Four new berths at Pasir Panjang Container Terminal is now under construction, and the resulting figures will stand at:

Container berths: 45
Quay length: 13,000 m
Area: 4.45 km²
Maximum draft: 16 m
Quay cranes: 147
Designed capacity: 25,400 kTEU

Jurong Port's facilities include:

Berths: 23
Berth length: 4,545 m
Maximum vessel draft: 16 m
Maximum vessel size: 150,000 dwt
Area: 1.2 km² Free Trade Zone, 320,000 m² non-Free Trade Zone
Warehouse facilities: 280,000 m²

Terminals

Port	Operator	Type	Berths	Quay length	Quay cranes	Area (Ha)	Capacity (kTEU)
Brani (BT)	PSA	Container	9	2,629	29	79
Cosco-PSA (CPT)	Cosco/PSA	Container	2	720 m		22.8	>1,000
Jurong	JTC	Multi-Purpose	23	4,547		152
Keppel (KT)	PSA	Container	14	3,220	37	96
Pasir Panjang (PPT) Phase 1	PSA	Container	6	1,885	19	71
Pasir Panjang (PPT) Phase 2A	PSA	Container	4	1,700	19	63	>4,000
Pasir Panjang (PPT) Phase 2B	PSA	Container	4	1,246	16	56	2,800
Pasir Panjang (PPT) Phase 2C	PSA	Container	7				5,600
Pasir Panjang (PPT) Phase 2D	PSA	Container	5
Pasir Panjang (PPT) Phase 3	PSA	Container
Pasir Panjang (PPT) Phase 4	PSA	Container
Pasir Panjang Wharves	PSA	General
Sembawang	PSA	General
Tanjong Pagar (TPT)	PSA	Container	8	2,320	27	80

Expansion

External links