Asia/Pacific News
Maritime Energy Test Bed Planned in Singapore
Southeast Asia's first maritime energy test facility is being planned for Singapore, according to a statement by Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
The Maritime Energy Test Bed (METB), scheduled to open in 2015, will be open to scientists and engineers from academia and industry for research and development of green ship and port technologies including alternative fuels, fuel additives, and engine emission technology.
NTU and the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) are developing the facility jointly, with SMI contributing S$4.7 million ($3.8 million) while NTU provides S$3.4 million ($2.7 million).
"The establishment of the Maritime Energy Test Bed will help in the translation of innovative technologies from lab-scale to large-scale application where new technologies will be tested prior to sea trials," said SMI Chairman Teo Siong Seng.
"The METB is a significant component in demonstrating and raising Singapore's maritime R&D capabilities and expertise."
The facility will provide equipment for energy storage, noise pollution, and waste heat recovery research, as well as a 1.5 megawatt diesel engine that can be modified to run on various fuels.
"To develop new technologies for green ships and green ports, all aspects of energy usage have to be studied, from the type of fuel and its associated emissions issues, to the efficiency of engines and waste heat recovery systems," said Chan Siew Hwa, Co-Director of NTU's Energy Research Institute (ERI@N).
"Energy studies and the development of future energy solutions are key pillars of sustainability research, which NTU has a strong expertise in."
METB joins an ECO Research Centre being created by FutureShip and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and a new Maritime Technology Professorship program at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), both announced earlier this year, in promoting Singapore as a center for marine technology.
