Singapore's Tuas port among key projects facing coronavirus delays

FILE PHOTO: Vessels present a water salute for the installation of the final caisson for Tuas Terminal Phase 1 reclamation in Singapore April 23, 2019. REUTERS/Edgar Su

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore’s transport minister has warned a coronavirus outbreak could cause delays to construction of multi-billion-dollar projects in the wealthy Asian city-state, such as a fifth terminal at Changi airport and the port of Tuas.

“For now, the delay to project timelines is still manageable,” Khaw Boon Wan told parliament on Thursday, the Straits Times newspaper said.

“But if the outbreak drags on, it could disrupt the supply of construction equipment and materials.”

The first of four phases of construction at Tuas port, expected to be the world’s biggest container terminal, is due to be completed in 2021, at an expected cost of about $1.8 billion.

A fifth airport terminal is expected to boost capacity by more than half when it is completed in the early 2030s. It forms part of expansion plans forecast to cost tens of billions of dollars.

Singapore has 112 cases of the virus, which originated in China and has disrupted global supply chains, clouding timelines for products and swelling manufacturing costs.

New train stations and road toll systems are among other projects that face delays, Khaw added.

Reporting by Aradhana Aravindan and John Geddie in Singapore; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Clarence Fernandez

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
source: reuters.com