MPA to Permit Night Movement of Line-Towed Container Barges at Pasir Panjang Terminal

The total number of containers handled by the Port of Singapore in the first seven months of 2024 amounted to 23.82 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), marking a significant 6.1% increase in container volumes over the same period last year. Most container vessels completed their simultaneous cargo handling and bunkering within a day of arrival. The average wait time for container berths at port has been reduced to less than one day in July 2024. These improvements are due to measures undertaken by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and PSA Singapore, such as the commissioning 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 for operations.

2. MPA and PSA Singapore have successfully completed a four-month trial with six barge operators, allowing for 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 was part of MPA's ongoing efforts to review its rules and regulations to reduce business costs and turnaround time, enhance resource optimisation, while ensuring safety. Previously, night movement for line-towed container barges was only permitted at Brani and Keppel Terminals, where navigational traffic is less complex than around PPT.

3. This initiative will fully utilise the night window to transport containers on barges into and out of the Port of Singapore and neighbouring ports, including those for transhipment. By enabling more containers to be delivered on barges throughout the day at PPT, this measure will improve connectivity with regional ports, enhance port efficiency, reduce the time container and feeder vessels spend at berth, and the need for containers to be transported between land terminals. Each line-towed barge can carry an average of 300 TEUs.

4. To ensure the safe movement of line-towed container barges at night at PPT, MPA will implement additional safety measures that were successfully tested with barge operators and PSA during the trial. These includes compulsory pilotage for the barges, restrictions on the length of towing lines, and close monitoring of barge movements by MPA's vessel traffic management system. All night movements of line-towed container barges to and from PPT must receive prior approval from MPA.

5. Barge operators have been briefed on the safety measures and approval process for night movements of line-towed container barges at PPT.

6. This initiative will take effect from today.