International Cargo Seaport: Port of Singapore

Although located in a small-sized country, the Port of Singapore has long maintained its reputation as one of the world’s largest ports. It has a long history and fascinating information that can further expand your knowledge about this particular industry. Scroll down to continue reading!

About the Port of Singapore

Spanning across three locations: Tuas, Pasir Panjang, and Keppel, the Port of Singapore is the second-largest port in the world after the Port of Shanghai. Controlled and operated by the country’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), the port provides connectivity to over 600 ports in 123 countries. Even amidst tricky worldwide economic situations, up to 37.2 million TEUs of containers and 626.2 million tonnes of cargo were managed effectively annually, according to MPA’s 2019 press release.

The History

The port evolution has been linked with the island city-modern state’s history and the vision demonstrated by its leaders, especially after its founding as a British trade station at the beginning of the 19th century.

Though the construction started in 1819, the country’s first container terminal was established much later in 1969 in Tanjong Pagar, catapulting the city-state from obscurity to worldwide prominence. It makes Singapore the first place in Southeast Asia to have a container port, which has since evolved to be among the world’s busiest and well-connected ports.

It’s also important to note the history of the MPA establishment when we’re talking about the history of the Port of Singapore. After its formation on the 1st of April 1964, the Singapore Harbour Board’s duties, assets, and liabilities were transferred to PSA Corporation, the group’s name at the time.

The crew was overwhelmed by the rising cargo handling and container traffic volume at Tanjong Pagar Container Terminal by the 1980s. The stress of managing such a massively-connected port also contributed to the pressure. The group then opted to deploy innovative technology for port operations, including computerized, automated machinery.

The group was corporatized 33 years later, on the 1st of October, to secure the port’s future so that it’d remain receptive to market demands and industry advancements.

In 2003, PSA Corporation reorganized its operations by founding PSA International Pte. Ltd., a holding company for all enterprises of the PSA Group. PSA Corporation was put as PSA International’s subsidiary under this new formation.

More about the Port of Singapore

This port’s statistics are outstanding: 130,000 ships arrive here annually, with roughly a thousand ships managed simultaneously.

Currently, the Port of Singapore is constructing Tuas Port—a massive automated container terminal predicted to provide up to 65 million TEUs capacity once finished. By 2040, the port is also projected to be the world’s largest entirely-automated terminal, especially with the implementation of automated guided vehicles (AGV) and yard automation. Every current Singaporean container port will be combined and transferred to Tuas by then.

We hope the information about the Port of Singapore above gives you more exciting information! Feel free to check out our other port-related articles as well, and let us know what you think about it.