Line-towed barges allowed to move to and from Pasir Panjang Terminal at night to boost port efficiency

SINGAPORE: Line-towed container barges will be able to move to and from Pasir Panjang Terminal at night from Wednesday (Sep 4), as part of efforts to boost port efficiency. 
This was previously only permitted at Brani and Keppel Terminals where the navigational traffic is less complex, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in a media release on Wednesday. 
The new measure comes after MPA and PSA Singapore completed a four-month trial with six barge operators. 
It will allow barges to transport containers in and out of the Port of Singapore and neighbouring ports, including those for transhipment, between 7pm and 6.30am.
On average, each line-towed barge can carry the equivalent of 300 standard shipping containers. 
“By enabling more containers to be delivered on barges throughout the day at Pasir Panjang Terminal, this measure will improve connectivity with regional ports, (and) enhance port efficiency,” said MPA. 
It would also reduce the time container and feeder vessels spend at berth and the need for containers to be transported between land terminals, it added. 
The measure is part of ongoing efforts by MPA to review its rules and regulations to reduce business costs and turnaround time and enhance resource optimisation while ensuring safety. 
CNA previously reported in May that shipping delays in Singapore had more than doubled. It later reported in July that some local companies were switching from sea to air freight in hopes of more punctual deliveries. 
In response to a parliamentary question in July on the adequacy of Singapore’s seaports to manage severe cargo congestion, Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat said that the crisis in the Red Sea had increased “the demands and complexity” of container handling at Singapore’s port.
As a result, container vessels were staying in the port longer, increasing the waiting time for incoming vessels and causing congestions at the berths, he added. 
According to MPA, the total number of containers handled by the Port of Singapore in the first seven months of 2024 amounted to the equivalent of 23.82 million standard shipping containers.
This was a 6.1 per cent increase in container volumes over the same period last year, it added. 
In July, the average wait time for container berths at port was reduced to less than one day, said MPA. 
“These improvements are due to measures undertaken by MPA and PSA,” it added, citing the commissioning of new berths at Tuas Port and the reactivation of berths and yard spaces at Keppel Terminal as examples.
Additional safety measures that were successfully tested during the trial will be implemented to ensure the safety of the barges moving at night. 
These include 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 Pasir Panjang Terminal must also receive prior approval from MPA.
“Barge operators have been briefed on the safety measures and approval process for night movements of line-towed container barges at Pasir Panjang Terminal,” said the statutory board.