On February 6, PaxOcean, a Singapore-based shipyard under the Kuok Maritime Group (KMG), announced via its official website the official opening of its new shipyard at 5 Jalan Samulun (5JS). The opening of 5JS marks a significant investment by the Group and a milestone that reinforces Singapore’s position as a leading global hub for maritime engineering, innovation and sustainability.
The opening ceremony was officiated by Mr Murali Pillai, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Transport. The shipyard, situated in the Jurong Industrial Estate, spans 17.26 hectares and features two large graving docks, one floating dock, expanded quayside capacity, and dedicated, integrated workshops to support complex and high-value maritime and offshore assets. The build took two years and was jointly supported by JTC Corporation (JTC) and Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).
5JS replaces PaxOcean’s previous location at 33 Tuas Crescent. The new yard occupies a significantly larger footprint, giving PaxOcean the ability to handle more complex projects with faster turnaround. Local and international customers can also benefit from PaxOcean’s customised engineering solutions for repairs and upgrades, as well as newbuilding and conversion projects. Overall, the yard will strengthen Singapore’s newbuilding, fabrication, conversion, and repair capabilities.
In addition, PaxOcean has committed more than S$3.5 million in R&D investments over the next three years, supported by EDB’s Research & Innovation Scheme for Companies. A key investment will be PaxOcean’s new Centre of Excellence (COE) in Engineering R&D. The COE will strengthen capabilities in carbon capture, utilisation and storage, systems integration, simulation, and digital twin applications, and will support the creation of 12 high-skilled engineering and research roles.
A first for a shipyard in Singapore, 5JS is home to a purpose-built Innovation Hub@5JS (iHub5), a KMG-led initiative. Designed as a collaborative platform, iHub5 brings together maritime industry experts, technology partners and next-generation talent under one roof to accelerate the development of practical maritime solutions for KMG. This also makes the new shipyard a convenient platform for test-bedding solutions, with support from COE and iHub5 to advance Singapore’s capabilities in developing, testing and deploying next-generation maritime solutions.
Supporting the maritime industry’s decarbonisation efforts and Singapore’s net-zero ambitions, the new shipyard has been designed with sustainability at its core. It incorporates energy-efficient infrastructure and greener operations under a phased roadmap that includes electrification initiatives, smart energy and logistics systems, and the adoption of green solutions such as renewable energy, biofuels and carbon capture.
In addition, 5JS is powered by large-scale photovoltaic panels and an energy-efficient ACMV (Air Conditioning and Mechanical Ventilation) system, to optimise climate control while minimising energy consumption. As of today, the new shipyard has attained the BCA Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy (Provisional) certification and has been recognised with the Whole Life Carbon badge. This accreditation strengthens Singapore’s sustainable shipbuilding and repair capabilities and positions 5JS as an attractive platform for customers seeking environmentally responsible maritime solutions.
Tan Thai Yong, Managing Director and CEO of PaxOcean, said: “Our investment in 5JS reflects our long-term commitment to further strengthening Singapore’s position as a world-leading global maritime and offshore hub. It also marks an important moment when we articulate who we are as PaxOcean – Driven by Passion. Built on Excellence. This reflects the standards we bring to every project, underpinned by innovation, sustainability, and disciplined execution, as we build a future-ready business and set new benchmarks for the industry in Singapore and across our four other strategic locations in the region. None of this would be possible without our skilled and loyal workforce, who have embraced the move and are ready to welcome more partners to our state-of-the-art facility proudly.”
5JS is one of five PaxOcean shipyards operating across three countries – Singapore, China and Indonesia – with a Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) facility currently in construction in Saudi Arabia. The new facility at 5JS replaces PaxOcean’s Tuas Yard. Established in 2007, PaxOcean is strategically positioned to deliver customised engineering solutions with efficiency, flexibility, and reliability to customers worldwide. Beyond infrastructure and technology, PaxOcean remains deeply committed to nurturing Singapore’s maritime talent pipeline. In the long term, PaxOcean aims to build industry confidence and position Singapore as a global centre of excellence for sustainable maritime engineering.