The construction of Singapore’s Tuas Mega-Port may be delayed if the coronavirus continues to spread, according to the country’s Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.
In a widely reported speech to parliament, Khaw said several of Singapore’s major infrastructure projects could be delayed as the supply of construction equipment and materials is disrupted.
The Tuas Mega-Port is the single biggest port infrastructure project in the world and will overtake Shanghai as the busiest port in operation once completed.
Singapore is the biggest port in Southeast Asia, which ones are close behind?
Its first two berths will open in 2021 and it will be fully operational by 2040, when it will have a capacity of approximately 65 million TEU.
The final caisson for the Tuas Mega-Port was installed in April 2019, a story Port Technology International (PTI) reported on at the time.
Singapore is already the second biggest port in the world and one of the few non-Chinese hubs to make the list of the world’s top 10.
The coronavirus outbreak has substantially affected trade in Southeast Asia and across the global supply chain – two phenomenons examined in detail by PTI.
Read more about how coronavirus has affected ports here and the wider supply chain here.
Khaw said that the outbreak had “wreaked havoc” on the world and that part of Singapore’s economy, such as ferry and cruise sectors, have been “devastated”.
However, he also said it will “burnout” and that Singapore’s economy and industries will recover.
Other infrastructure projects cited by Khaw were the construction of the Changi Airport Terminal 5, new MRT stations and the next-generation ERP system.
