The Pasir Panjang Terminal (PPT) can now tow container barges after sunset, a move aimed at increasing the speed and capacity of cargo handling, reports The Straits Times.
Container barges
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on September 4 that night movement of line-towed container barges—which can carry an average of 300 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units)—was previously permitted only at Brani and Keppel terminals, where navigational traffic is less complex than around PPT.
Lifting the curb at PPT between 7.00 pm and 6.30 am, effective immediately, comes after a four-month trial by the MPA and PSA Singapore.
This also coincided with long vessel waiting times in most of May and June, amid the worst port congestion since the COVID-19 period.
The MPA said the average wait time for container berths at the port had already been reduced to less than one day in July.
Strong berth demand and off-schedule vessel arrivals amid diversions from the Red Sea route during May and June had at times resulted in container ships waiting for up to seven days for a berth, said shipping intelligence firm Linerlytica.
Night towing at PPT will add to other measures undertaken by the MPA and PSA, such as the commissioning of new berths at Tuas Port, reactivating berths and yard spaces at Keppel Terminal, increasing manpower capacity and working with shipping and feeder lines on the scheduling of operations.
The MPA said the PPT initiative will fully utilize the night window to transport containers on barges into and out of the Port of Singapore and neighboring ports, including those for transshipment.
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said the initiative was part of a review of rules and processes to see how costs can be reduced and efficiency increased.
Many ports worldwide have restrictions on operating line-towed barges after sunset, as these vessels are slow and not easy to maneuver. They also pose a navigational hazard as they are not easily identified by other vessels at night or under limited-visibility conditions.
The MPA said it will implement additional safety measures that were successfully tested with barge operators and PSA during the trial.
These measures include compulsory pilotage for barges, restrictions on the length of towing lines, and close monitoring of movements by the MPA’s vessel traffic management system.
All night movements of line-towed container barges to and from PPT must receive prior approval from the MPA.
Singapore, which is the world’s second-largest container port, handled 23.82 million TEUs of containers from January to July 2024, up 6.1 percent from the same period in 2023.
Did you subscribe to our daily Newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe
Source: The Strait Times
