Mammoet Moves Barges for Singapore Polder Project

By Simon West

Mammoet has completed the complex recovery and relocation of 12 giant barges for an ambitious land reclamation project on an offshore island in Singapore.

The project, known as Pulau Tekong Polder, is being led by Singapore’s Housing Development Board and executed by the Boskalis Penta Ocean joint venture (BPJV) to reclaim some 800 hectares of land using the “empoldering” technique, a first for the city state.

The technique differs from traditional sand-infilling by creating a low-lying tract of land — known as a polder — which is protected from the sea by a dike and drained using a network of channels and pumps. The approach reduces the amount of fill material needed and lowers construction costs.

As part of the project, a stormwater collection pond was created inside the polder, with equipment and a fleet of barges deployed to deepen the large body of water. Once completed, the equipment and barges — now landlocked — needed to be retrieved and relocated for continued operations.

“A total of twelve barges, ranging in weight from 680 to 990 tons, had to be recovered from the stormwater collection pond, transported across the newly built haul road to the dike, and launched back into the sea — a complex undertaking requiring advanced technical expertise and specialized equipment,” Mammoet said.

During the multi-stage operation, Mammoet used 68 airbags and four winches, with capacities ranging from 60 to 85 tons, to haul each barge from the pond.

Once extracted, the vessels were jacked up so the airbags could be removed and self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) positioned underneath for transport to the launch point. The barges were then set afloat using a process mirroring their retrieval.

Despite adverse weather, the work was carried out on schedule, the transport specialist said. “The results were impressive: Mammoet not only met the tight deadlines but also played a key role in a transformative project that increased Singapore’s landmass.”

Singapore is the host destination for Breakbulk Asia 2026, taking place on 18-19 November at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands.