Hyundai E&C begins reclamation of Tuas port in Singapore

An overview of Hyundai E&C's construction work at the Tuas Finger 3 project in Singapore. Yonhap

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Hyundai Engineering & Construction has begun work on wharves at Tuas Finger 3 port in Singapore by installing caissons under water, the company said Sunday.

A caisson is a watertight structure about the height of a 12-story building used as a foundation for the project.

The Tuas Finger 3 project includes designing and reclaiming 387 hectares of land at Tuas Port in western Singapore. Caissons will be installed over the next 108 months to form wharves.

The project will be completed by March 2027 and the reclaimed land will be used for port facilities, according to the company.

The company won the $1.1 billion Tuas Finger 3 project in February 2018.

Hyundai E&C will be responsible for 35 percent of the project, worth $390 million, while the rest will be carried out by Japan's Penta Ocean Construction Company and Netherlands-based Royal Boskalis Westminster.

Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Chief Executive Quah Ley Hoon, Korean Ambassador to Singapore Ahn Young-jip and Hyundai E&C Head of Civil Engineering Park Chan-soo attended the ceremony marking the installation of the caisson on July 4.

“The Tuas Finger 3 site is a large-scale reclamation project involving the construction of 227 caissons,” a Hyundai E&C official said. “We plan to utilize our technology to complete the project and strengthen our position in the marine sector."

"We will share our technical know-how to win more reclamation projects in Singapore, which has a long-term land development plan.”