Asia/Pacific News
Singapore: MPA Narrows Down Electric Harbour Craft Designs
Singapore's plans to decarbonise port operations have reached a new stage with 11 harbour craft designs selected for further development. The Maritime and Port Authority has set a 2030 deadline for new harbour craft to be powered by electricity.
The designs, which are for passenger launch and cargo lighter vessels, include "the use of optimised aluminium hull form, high energy density batteries with active liquid cooling, battery thermal detection and protection system, among others", according to the MPA.
MPA will lend continued support to the initiative through "an enhancement programme for our researchers in the maritime domain to reduce the overall costs for these designs when scaled up and support continuous improvements".
Participants in the electric harbour craft (e-HC) programme will be able to market these enhanced e-HC reference designs to interested parties, it said.
"The use of ready reference designs and production at scale, is expected to help reap cost savings for companies planning to make the transition to e-HCs."
The total cost outlook for e-HCs is comparable to that of a conventional harbour craft, according to the MPA.
In addition to pushing forward with its e-HC programme, the authoirity said that it is working towards developing standards for biofuels with blends up to B100.
"New harbour craft from 2030 would have the choice for their engines to be B100 biofuel capable or be compatible with net zero fuels such as hydrogen when it is more readily available," it said.
