For the engineering innovations behind the Tuas Port Phase 1 (TPP1) Reclamation, Wharf Construction & Dredging Project, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and project partners were awarded the 2022 World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) H.J. Sabbagh Prize for Excellence in Engineering Construction. The ceremony for the WFEO award will be held later this year.

Key design innovations included large-scale reuse of recyclable materials such as dredged seabed material and land-excavated materials, which accounted for more than half of the reclamation fill for TPP1. The reclamation filling, which included clay, was treated to ensure stability of the reclaimed land is within the stringent limits for operating the driverless automated guided vehicles.

The stability of the reclamation fill is maintained using 10 storey-high caissons as earth-retaining walls. These caissons also form the foundations of Tuas port and wharf structures for vessels to berth alongside. The caissons were fabricated at a nearby casting yard, towed out to sea, and submerged on the prepared foundation in the seabed.

221 caissons were used for the reclamation of TPP1 and the deep-water berths will be capable of accommodating future container ships with a draught of up to 21 metres. In addition, MPA, as the port planner, designed Tuas Port as finger-piers so that the linear wharf layout maximises the land-sea space while providing flexibility for ships with different lengths to berth.

TPP1 was built five metres above mean sea level to adapt to rising sea levels. Dredged hard rocks beneath the seabed were reused for shore protection and reclamation fill to enhance resource circularity.

The TPP1 project was also awarded the Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award 2022 by The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) at the IES 56th Annual Dinner on 17 January 2023, and the ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Awards 2022 by the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (AFEO) at the 40th Conference of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (CAFEO40) on 7 December 2022.

These accolades recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of MPA’s engineering teams, amidst the challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, in driving innovation, adoption of state-of-art technologies to improve efficiency and construction safety and incorporating environmental sustainability and climate adaptation engineering in the design and construction of TPP1.

“Developed in four phases, Tuas Port will be a fully automated port. These awards affirm the commitment to engineering excellence and the dedication of the entire MPA team. As a greenfield site, Tuas Port offers opportunities for innovation, enhancing energy and operational efficiency so that we can deliver a port which will continue to secure Singapore’s connectivity to the world and its future as global trading hub port,” said Mr Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of MPA.

The WFEO’s H.J. Sabbagh Prize for Excellence in Engineering Construction aims to promote the important role of engineering in sustainable development, especially in the construction and infrastructure fields. The ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Awards and the IES Prestigious Engineering Awards recognise exceptional engineering achievements that demonstrate outstanding engineering skills which have made a significant contribution to the engineering progress and quality of life in ASEAN and Singapore, respectively.