Mammoet has completed a series of complex heavy lifting and specialized transport operations for the Pulau Tekong Polder project, Singapore’s first offshore polder development and one of the country’s most innovative land reclamation efforts. The project, led by the Housing Development Board (HDB) and executed by the Boskalis Penta Ocean Joint Venture (BPJV), aims to reclaim roughly 800 hectares of land using the empoldering technique—applied in Singapore for the first time.
Unlike traditional land reclamation methods that rely on large volumes of sand, the empoldering approach creates a low-lying tract of land enclosed by a protective dike. Water is subsequently drained from the area to form the polder, while the dike and an integrated system of pumps and drains regulate water levels. This method substantially lowers the need for fill material, reduces overall project cost, and helps minimize environmental impact.
A key component of the development includes the construction of a stormwater collection pond within the polder to manage rainfall. During excavation and dredging, several barges and work platforms were deployed inside the pond. Once construction advanced, these vessels became landlocked and required strategic extraction to return to open waters.
Mammoet was tasked with recovering and relocating twelve barges, each weighing between 680 and 990 tonnes. The operation involved lifting the vessels from the pond, transporting them across a newly built haul road, and reintroducing them into the sea. The process demanded extensive engineering, precise coordination, and the use of specialized heavy transport machinery.
The company stated that the successful retrieval and transport of the barges represent a significant engineering achievement and support the continued progress of the Pulau Tekong Polder development, a project poised to reshape Singapore’s future land-use capabilities.