World's only mid-air storage yard boosts port efficiency

World
Europe

02:00

The Port of Singapore serves as a key pivot point to the world's navigation network. It's the first stop abroad for most outbound shipping vessels from China.

"The Port of Singapore lies in a very strategic position. The ships passing from China, going to Europe and beyond all past through Singapore," said Adrian Sim, assistant vice president of Pasir Panjang Terminal.

Due to the space limitation at the port, a local Chinese company has built a storage yard in mid-air to improve efficiency.

About 16,000 containers are piled onto the roof, 50 meters above the ground. Company managers say as demand rises, they are about to build a second such facility.

The mid-air storage yard takes up 3.5 hectares and can hold 16,000 containers. /CGTN Photo

"When the volume increases, we have to manage the flow. More importantly, this is a building. Every day, we have 700 trucks moving in and out. We have to react very quickly to any traffic jams," said Randal Ke, a manager from Cogent Container Depot PTE Ltd.

As one of the globe's largest maritime terminals, the Port of Singapore continues to improve its services and efficiency to make itself more competitive. The nation also stays loyal to its cooperation partners from China.

"The Port of Singapore has very fast operation. It is at a good position. Singapore is also a financial center of the world," said Gu Jinsong, president of COSCO SHIPPING (South East Asia) PTE Ltd.

The Port of Singapore has a high density of containers and ships. /CGTN Photo

"In the future, we think there's a lot of potential to work together. We will use Singapore as a hub to develop our services in Southeast Asia," Gu said.

With a geographical advantage, Singapore has provided reliable services for Chinese shipping companies carrying goods internationally.