Titanic Engineering to Tame the Ocean

As the world progresses, the need to expand trade and protect shorelines has driven nations to look to the sea with ambitious plans. Three countries are currently achieving true feats of submarine engineering that promise to change the future of coastal infrastructure globally.

Singapore and the World's Largest Automated Port

Despite being a tiny island city-state in Southeast Asia measuring just 728 square kilometers, Singapore is building Tuas Port, which will be the world's largest fully automated port. To gain space from the sea, 227 massive concrete caissons are being installed, each weighing around 15,000 tons and standing as tall as a 10-story building.

These blocks form a maritime mega-wall of 9.1 kilometers in length, although other reports suggest the containment wall could reach up to 17.7 kilometers in its most advanced phases. Dredging work began in 2014, with the first caissons installed in 2016.

Furthermore, the port will combine artificial intelligence and total automation, using electrified cranes and automatically guided vehicles (AGVs) managed remotely.

India: Concrete Blocks and Sand Tubes

India is also making strides in the Arabian Sea with the Vizhinjam International Deepwater Port, located in the southwestern coastal state of Kerala. The project uses around 2,000 prefabricated concrete blocks to reinforce a 3.1-kilometer breakwater to be built in waters up to 28 meters deep.

The first phase of the breakwater is already complete, allowing for the commercial opening of the port by the end of 2024. The Kerala state government and the Adani Group plan to add an extra 920 meters, reaching almost 4 kilometers by 2028.

In another innovative initiative in the town of Poonthura, also in Kerala, authorities opted for an ecological alternative: the installation of geotubes, giant tubes filled with sand placed at a 6-meter depth. This submerged barrier, expected to be operational by April 2026, aims to dissipate wave energy without altering the landscape or harming marine habitats, allowing sand to accumulate naturally.

Turkey and the Protection of its Fishing Ports

In the Black Sea, Turkey is carrying out a coastal defense project at the Faroz fishing port, located in the city of Trabzon on the country's northeastern coast. After an incident where the sea destroyed fishing nets, sank five ships, and caused heavy losses for local fishermen, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure decided to take action.

The solution involves dropping and installing approximately 5,000 huge concrete blocks, each weighing up to 21 tons. Production, at a pace of 15 to 20 blocks per day since 2025, aims to complete the installation by the end of 2026, providing robust protection against the fierce waves of the Black Sea.