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Keppel Container Terminal in Singapore

The Port of Singapore refers to the collective facilities and terminals that conduct maritime trade handling functions in Singapore's harbours and which handle Singapore's shipping. Currently the world's busiest port in terms of total shipping tonnage, it also handles a quarter of the world's shipping containers as the world's busiest container port, and half of the world's annual supply of crude oil. In terms of total cargo tonnage handled, Hong Kong and Shanghai are behind Singapore. Thousands of ships drop anchor in the harbour, connecting the port to over 600 other ports in 123 countries and spread over six continents.

The Port of Singapore is not a mere economic boon, but an economic necessity due to the fact that Singapore is lacking in land and natural resources. The Port is critical for importing natural resources, and then later re-exporting them after they have been refined and shaped in some manner, for example wafer fabrication or oil refining to generate revenue. Only then can the service industry such as hospitality services typical of a port of call, for example, restocking a ship's food and water supplies, take their role. The Straits of Johor is currently impassable by all ships as the Johor-Singapore Causeway links Singapore to Malaysia.

The port's activities was originally centered around the mouth of the Singapore River around what was called the Old Harbour. However, it was the deep and sheltered waters in the nearby Keppel Harbour which would excite Stamford Raffles enough to establish a new colony for Britain in the then sparsely populated village.

By the 1980s, maritime trading activity had ceased in the vicinity of the River except in the form of maritime passenger transport, as other terminals and harbours took over its role. Keppel Harbour is now home to three container terminals. Other terminals were built in Pasir Panjang, Jurong as well as Sembawang in the north. Today, the port operations in Singapore are handled by two players: PSA International (formerly the Port of Singapore Authority) and Jurong Port, who collectively operate 6 container terminals and 3 general purpose terminals around Singapore.

The Pasir Panjang Container Terminal lies to the left and Jurong Port in the background of this panoramic view of the southwestern part of Singapore, showing the southern parts of Queenstown, and Clementi and Jurong.

Ships laying at anchor outside the Port of Singapore.

The port is the world's busiest port in terms of shipping tonnage handled, with 1.15 billion gross tons (GT) handled in 2005. In terms of cargo tonnage, Singapore is ranked second behind Shanghai with 423 million tons handled. The port retains its position as the world's busiest hub for transhipment traffic in 2005, and is also the world's biggest bunkering hub, with 25 million tonnes sold in the same year. [1]

Singapore is ranked first globally in 2005 in terms of containerised traffic, with 23.2 million Twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) handled. High growth in containerised traffic has seen the port overtaking Hong Kong since the first quarter of 2005 [2], and has led the race ever since, with an estimated 19,335 TEUs handled in the year up to October, compared to 18,640 TEUs handled in Hong Kong in the same period. A rise in regional traffic consolidating the port's position in Southeast Asia, and increases in transhipment traffic using the strategic East Asia-Europe route via Singapore helped the port to emerge tops at the end of the year, a title it had not held since overtaking Hong Kong once in 1998.

PSA Singapore's Container facilities includes:

• Container berths: 41
• Quay length: 11,754 m
• Area: 3.89 km²
• Max draft: 16 m
• Quay cranes: 131
• Designed capacity: 22,600 kTEU

Four new berths at Pasir Panjang Container Terminal is now under construction, and the resulting figures will stand at:

• Container berths: 45
• Quay length: 13,000 m
• Area: 4.45 km²
• Maximum draft: 16 m
• Quay cranes: 147
• Designed capacity: 25,400 kTEU

Jurong Port's facilities include:

• Berths: 23
• Berth length: 4,545 m
• Maximum vessel draft: 16 m
• Maximum vessel size: 150,000 dwt
• Area: 1.2 km² Free Trade Zone, 320,000 m² non-Free Trade Zone
• Warehouse facilities: 280,000 m²

• Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
• Port operational statistics
• Singapore Maritime Portal
• History of Singapore Harbor (Year 1851)