Port of Singapore
From Freepedia
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 busiest port overall, it also handles a quarter of the world's shipping containers as the world's second busiest container port, and half of the world's annual supply of crude oil. Over a thousands ships drop anchor in the harbour, connecting the port to over 600 other ports in 123 countries and spead 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. It also is a link to Johor as the Straits of Johor is currently impassable by most ships.
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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 city.
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 currently the world's busiest port in terms of shipping tonnage handled. In 2004, 1.04 billion gross tons (GT) were handled, crossing the one billion mark for the first time in Singapore’s maritime history. Singapore also emerged as a top port in terms of cargo tonnage handled with 393 million tonnes of cargo in the same year, passing Rotterdam for the first time in the process. By the end of 2005, however, the Port of Shanghai is expected to overtake Singapore in terms of shipping tonnage handled if prevailing growth rates were maintained.
Singapore is ranked second globally in terms of containerised traffic, with 21.3 million Twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) handled in 2004, and retains its position as the world's busiest hub for transhipment traffic. Current growth rates indicate that Singapore may claim the top container port title by the end of 2005 based on current growth rates, a title it has not held since overtaking Hong Kong once in 1998. It is also the world's biggest bunkering hub, with 23.6 million tonnes sold in 2004.
Operators
PSA Singapore's Container facilities includes:
- Container berths: 37
- Quay length: 10,314 m
- Area: 3.39 km²
- Max draft: 15 m
- Quay cranes: 112
- Designed capacity: 20,000 kTEU
Five new berths at Pasir Panjang Container Terminal is now under construction, and the resulting figures will stand at:
- Container berths: 42
- Quay length: 12,014 m
- Area: 4.02 km²
- Maximum draft: 15 m
- Quay cranes: 132
- Designed capacity: 24,000 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 | Capacity (kTEU) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brani (BT) | PSA | Container | 9 | 29 | |||
| Cosco-PSA (CPT) | Cosco/PSA | Container | 2 | 720 m | 228,000 m² | >1,000 | |
| Jurong | JTC | Multi-Purpose | 23 | 4,547 m | 1,520,000 m² | ||
| Keppel (KT) | PSA | Container | 14 | 37 | |||
| Pasir Panjang (PPT) Phase 1 | PSA | Container | 6 | 19 | |||
| Pasir Panjang (PPT) Phase 2A | PSA | Container | 5 | 1,700 m | 20 | 630,000 m² | >4,000 |
| Pasir Panjang Wharves | PSA | General | |||||
| Sembawang | PSA | General | |||||
| Tanjong Pagar (TPT) | PSA | Container | 8 | 27 |
Achorages
Expansion
External links
- Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
- Singapore Maritime Portal
- History of Singapore Harbor (Year 1851)
