LOGISTICS management service provider Cosco Shipping International (Singapore) started construction work on Phase 2 of its logistics hub on Jurong Island on Tuesday (Dec 17).
When completed, the capacity of the hub will be almost double what it is currently. It will have an additional 2.5 hectares (ha) of land and about 62,500 sq m of built-up area, the company said in a bourse filing.
This expanded portion of the facility aims to address the growing demand for specialised logistics services serving the petrochemical and chemical sectors on the island, which houses Singapore’s major petrochemical hub.
Cosco Shipping had announced in September its plans to expand the logistics hub through its subsidiary Cogent Holdings, which had identified an urgent need for more capacity on the island following the completion of the first phase of the facility in 2021.
That initial phase took up 3.5 ha of land, and created approximately 87,500 sq m of built-up area. Within three months of occupancy, nearly 46,500 sq m of warehousing space had already been taken up, and inventory level was at 90 per cent, Cosco noted then.
Phase 2 of the facility will set a new benchmark in logistics capabilities and environmental stewardship, while also contributing to Singapore’s green transformation, said the company’s executive vice-president Lan Chun Hai at the ground-breaking ceremony on Tuesday.
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The expanded wing will be integrated with the original infrastructure, creating approximately 60,386 sq m of warehouse space in the combined facility.
Logistics services include the handling of dangerous goods and general cargo services, the repackaging of materials into drums, as well as 24-hour transportation services.
The hub will also aim to incorporate higher stacking and automation technologies such as automated guided vehicles to optimise operations and improve cost efficiency.
By replicating the rooftop container depot design used in the first construction, the expanded facility will minimise external trucking trips, which would also improve efficiency and sustainability.
The facility will also leverage its proximity to the Jurong Island Terminal and deploy barging containers instead of road-transport vehicles. This will significantly cut transport time, cost and emissions, thus aligning the facility with Singapore’s green transformation goals, read the filing.
Shares of Cosco Shipping International (Singapore) rose 0.8 per cent or S$0.001 to close at S$0.14 on Tuesday.
