Singapore Allows Night Movements of Container Ships to Boost Port Efficiency

Singapore has announced that it will allow the night-time movement of line-towed container ships to and from the Pasir Panjang Terminal after a successful four-month trial period. This decision comes after congestion at container berths in May and June caused longer waiting times for ships. The move aims to improve connectivity to regional ports, increase port efficiency, reduce time spent at berth by container and feeder ships, and minimize the need to transport containers between land terminals.

In addition to permitting night movements at Pasir Panjang, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will implement additional safety measures. These include mandatory piloting of the barges, restricting the length of tow lines, and closely monitoring barge movements through the MPA’s vessel traffic management system. Each liner-towed cargo ship can carry around 300 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs).

The Port of Singapore saw a 6.1% increase in container handling, reaching 23.82 million TEUs from January to July this year compared to the same period last year. Measures introduced by the MPA, such as adding new berths at Tuas Port, reactivating berths at Keppel, and collaborating with liner shipping companies, have helped reduce the average waiting time for container berths in the port to less than one day. These initiatives have contributed to enhancing port operations and efficiency in Singapore’s second-largest container port.

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