Singapore has a problem that many countries would envy: its port is becoming too small. The city-state, which has become a hub for global trade located in the Strait of Malacca, already handles more than 41 million containers a year and is approaching the limit of its capacity.
His government has chosen to build a port from scratch instead of expanding the one they already have. And since Singapore is a land of eccentricities, they want to do it in a big way: with a fully automated megaportdestined to be the largest of its category in the world. Puerto Tuas It has been under construction for a few years now. and below these lines we tell you what is special about it.
Behind China. Singapore has been the world’s second largest port by cargo volume for decades, just behind Shanghai. The city’s port reached a record of 41.12 million TEUs (units equivalent to a twenty-foot container) managed in 2024, 5% more than the previous year. Shanghai, for its part, reached 50 million.
The idea is that once the new port is completed, it will have an operational capacity of around 65 million TEUs annually, which would make it the largest container terminal in the world.
Colossal dimensions. The port was officially opened on September 1, 2022. When completed, sometime in the 2040s, it will occupy some 1,337 hectares (the equivalent of 3,300 football fields) and will have 66 docks along 26 kilometers of coastline, capable of accommodating the world’s largest container ships.
The project is being developed in four phases and is being executed by PSA International, Singapore’s public port operator. According to they counted According to Bloomberg, the project would have a total cost of about $14 billion.
Automation. What sets Tuas apart from any other port infrastructure under construction is the level of automation. The idea is that operators are in charge of monitoring everything in the port, while automated vehicles (AGVs), sensors and all types of monitoring systems and autonomous technologies take care of the rest.
The current fleet of AGVs exceeds 200which communicate with underground transponders using RFID technology to know their position in real time and avoid collisions.
The technology that moves it. In addition to container transportation, port automation allows remotely manage your operations through the Tuas Control Center. PSA works with technology partners to develop automation solutions in cranes and AGVs, and will deploy a private 5G network to support all these systems.
On top of all this, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore will develop a ship traffic management system with the intention of monitoring traffic in real time. through artificial intelligence and satellites. The goal is that every movement within the port, from the arrival of a ship to the departure of a truck, is controlled and optimized by algorithms.
How the work progresses. Tuas Phase 1 currently has twelve operational docks, and PSA plans to add four more throughout this year. Two more will enter service in 2027, which would bring the total to eighteen docks with a capacity of up to 20 million TEUs annually. For its part, Phase 2 has already taken its first steps, with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore handing over to PSA the first land reclaimed from the sea, where the operator can now begin construction of the facilities. The first dock is scheduled to come into operation in 2028.
On the other hand, also the transfer is being managed little by little from the current port. The deadline remains unchanged for 2027, the year in which all of Singapore’s historic terminals will have closed and migrated to Tuas. The Pasir Panjang terminal will do so later, already in the 2040s.
In 2024, PSA laid the first stone of the PSA Supply Chain Huba $647.5 million logistics center designed to complement the port. Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister of Singapore pointed out at the opening ceremony that the hub will replace the old Keppel Distripark and will “be Singapore’s gateway to the world”.
The problems that are saved. Have all the terminals in a single point has been key to decongesting trafficsince there is no longer a need to have trucks crossing the city center to transport cargo from one terminal to another. Furthermore, in terms of sustainability, PSA aims for Tuas achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Additionally, the port design will incorporate above-ground platforms to add an additional 240 hectares of space, and its operating level is set at 5 meters above mean sea level to accommodate rising ocean levels.
Cover image | MPA Singapore
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