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INSIGHT & EXCLUSIVE: NUS creates ‘digital twin’ of Singapore’s next gen port

The team behind NUS’ Centre of Excellence for Modelling and Simulation of Next Generation Port speaks with Manifold Times on designing Singapore’s Tuas mega port.
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Today (Friday) marks the signing of an agreement between the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) to establish the Centre of Excellence in Modelling and Simulation for Next Generation Port (C4NGP), a new SGD $18 million ($13.21 million) research centre located at NUS for enhancing the global competitiveness of Singapore’s maritime and port industries.
 
Tucked within C4NGP is research done by a team led by Associate Professor Chew Ek Peng and Associate Professor Lee Loo Hay from the NUS Department of Industrial Systems Engineering & Management to create the O2DES.NET (open-orientated discrete event simulation) platform, also simply known as the ‘digital twin’, for various maritime systems including the future 65 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) capacity Tuas mega port.
 
The Tuas mega port is a major milestone in Singapore’s next generation container terminal project that is scheduled to open progressively from 2021 for completion in 2040; it combines all city terminals at Tanjong Pagar, Pasir Panjang, Keppel and Brani into a mega maritime complex.
 
The ‘digital twin’ project is able to transport the physical realm of the Tuas mega port into the digital world; it combines the artificial intelligence and simulation aspect of port operations components (e.g. automated guided vehicles (AGVs), port cranes, container movement, maritime traffic, etc) to create a virtual sandbox environment for running simulation models.
 
Professor Lee believes these simulations will offer PSA International, Jurong Port and other stakeholder companies of the Tuas mega port project a glimpse to forecast the efficiency of operational events even before construction.
 
“Imagine a crystal ball which allows you to see events unfolding,” he says while adding “it is like a scientific tool which commercial users can consult to make an educated guess before committing huge money.”
 
“Singapore’s Tuas mega port is going to be the biggest in the world and nothing of this scale has ever been done before. The challenge is not only building it, but also making sure the design of the whole port itself promotes effective operations.
 
“The volume of 65 million TEUs is going to introduce huge traffic in the terminal that will be complicated to handle; if you do not control the operational decisions and handling sequences wisely the capacity of the port will fall far below the projected capacity.
 
“Singapore, being a transhipment port, also means an incoming containership will likely contain boxes which has to be further processed and transhipped over 200 destinations, and with each finger at the Tuas port being a few kilometres long all AGVs will need to operate and transport their containers like clockwork to meet transfers on time.
 
“The massive amount of automation by AGVs means much work has to be done to fine tune the system’s artificial intelligence; a smart algorithm also needs to be developed to control how many AGVs simultaneously operates as we will see congestion with too many and a backlog if too few units operating.
 
“The simulations provided by our ‘digital twin’ project of the Tuas mega port will be able to help stakeholders make decisions on the mentioned and more.”
 
Other uses for the ‘digital twin’ simulation platform include the analysis of navigational channel capacity studies for developing systems to simulate and optimise incoming and outgoing marine traffic; the examination of land transport-related systems such as port gateway design systems and analysis of inter-terminal traffic movement between port terminals; automated guided vehicle optimisation, scheduling and charging strategies; container yard storage management strategies; and analysis of future port systems.
 
“There is none other like this in the world; the rest are simply simulation models, whereas NUS’ ‘digital twin’ model integrates advanced analytics and optimisations for arriving at conclusions to help stakeholders make commercial decisions,” highlights Professor Lee.
 
“Ours even allow adjustment of five hierarchical levels of detail, depending on user requirement, taking into account all the way down to the equipment component level.
 
“It is essentially a virtual sandbox image of the physical operations.
 
“In the long run, what we aim is to fully integrate the physical and digital aspects of the port operations at Tuas mega port by getting real time data from the physical world for feedback to the digital world so that both systems have mutual learning capabilities.”

C4NGP is part of the Sea Transport Industry Transformation Map (ITM) developed by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in partnership with the industry, unions and other government agencies to grow the sector’s value-add by SGD $4.5 billion and create more than 5,000 jobs by 2025.

As part of efforts to enhance productivity and innovation, Singapore is investing in new port capabilities that capitalise on emerging technologies to allow Tuas mega port to harnesses data analytics to optimise operations such as just-in-time vessel arrivals and the Maritime Single Window for quicker port clearance.

The AGVs have been introduced under a MPA-PSA Port Technology Research and Development Programme (PTRDP) to jointly step up R&D and capability developments in the areas of digitalisation, connected community systems as well as automation and robotics.

A fleet of 30 AGVs have been deployed in a trial with automated yard cranes and quay cranes in the Pasir Panjang Terminal.  Deployment of such automated systems are expected to be scaled up in the Tuas mega port. 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 29 June, 2018
 

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GCMD: Project CAPTURED achieves two regulatory milestones for onboard captured CO2

CO2 captured onboard during the project has been formally recognised for compliance under the EU ETS while a proposal submitted to MEPC 84, based on the project, has received IMO’s in-principle support.

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July 22, 2026

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Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) on Wednesday (21 July) said Project CAPTURED has achieved two regulatory milestones that strengthen the commercial case for onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS).

This comes following its world’s first demonstration of an end-to-end value chain for onboard captured and liquefied CO2 (LCO2).

Completed in June 2025, the pilot showed that CO2 captured onboard a vessel can be offloaded ship-to-ship, transported overland and permanently bound through carbon mineralisation—a process that converts captured CO₂ into stable materials for industrial use.

The CO2 captured onboard during Project CAPTURED has been formally recognised for compliance under the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). This means the verified tonnage of captured CO2 can be deducted from emissions requiring the surrender of EU Allowances (EUAs).

To qualify for this recognition, the CO2 must be chemically bound permanently in eligible products. Project CAPTURED demonstrated that CO2 captured onboard vessels can meet this requirement through carbon mineralisation.

The data and learnings from the same demonstration formed the basis of a proposal submitted to MEPC 84. This proposal received in-principle support from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for recognising carbon mineralisation as a form of permanent CO₂ storage.

Complementing geological sequestration, which is already accepted by the IMO, this recognition broadens the downstream options for CO2 captured onboard vessels, and supports the development of maritime carbon value chains. Beyond providing a permanent storage pathway, carbon mineralisation also creates the potential for captured CO2 to serve not only as a waste stream requiring permanent storage, but also as a feedstock for industrial applications through carbon mineralisation, extending emissions reductions beyond the shipping value chain.

Professor Lynn Loo, CEO, GCMD, said, “Project CAPTURED has moved OCCS beyond technical demonstration. The acceptance of the EU ETS deduction gives captured CO₂ a compliance value. At the same time, IMO’s in-principle support for carbon mineralisation will help clarify how captured CO2 can be treated after it leaves the vessel. Together, these milestones turn a pilot into a verified reference case for maritime carbon logistics, one that links regulatory recognition, commercial value and emissions impact.”

 

Photo credit: Venti Views on Unsplash
Published: 22 July, 2026

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Technology

Singapore: Ofiniti, ONE trial direct platform integration to streamline bunker workflows

Ofiniti started a trial in Singapore, integrating FuelBoss directly with a bunker buyer’s own platform, with Ocean Network Express as its first buyer-side integration partner.

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Singapore: Ofiniti, ONE trial direct platform integration to streamline bunker workflows

Ofiniti, the digital platform for maritime fuel operations, on Tuesday (21 July) said it has started a trial in Singapore, integrating FuelBoss directly with a bunker buyer’s own platform.

The company announced Singapore-headquartered container shipping firm Ocean Network Express (ONE) as its first buyer-side integration partner. 

“It is no coincidence we start in Singapore, as the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) remains at the forefront of digitalisation of all things bunkering,” the company said in a social media post.

In November 2023, MPA launched its digital bunkering platform, becoming the world’s first port to implement e-BDN. 

Ofiniti said every bunker delivery still runs on retyped data. 

“The buyer’s system says one thing, the supplier says another, and someone reconciles the gap by email, phone, or PDF. On every stem,” the company said. 

“We built FuelBoss to change this reality.”

With the integration, operational data now flows without manual re-entry, fewer reconciliation errors and faster processing and data, instead of documents, are readily available for procurement and claims workflows. 

“One connection will not transform the industry on its own, but digitalisation gets built one integration at a time. We are grateful to ONE for being willing to go first,” Ofiniti added.

Manifold Times previously reported ONE completing its successful trial of the electronic Bunker Delivery Note (e-BDN) with Shell. 

The e-BDN trial, using the digital bunkering solution developed by Angsana Technology, was conducted on 9 September 2023 at the Port of Singapore, with support from the MPA.

In March 2025, Ofiniti acquired Singapore-based Angsana Technology, with the entire Angsana team joining Ofiniti as part of the acquisition.

Related: MPA Chief Executive: Port of Singapore begins digital bunkering initiative today
Related: Singapore set to become first port in the world to debut electronic bunker delivery notes
Related: ONE completes e-BDN adoption trial with Shell in Port of Singapore
Related: Ofiniti acquires Singapore-based Angsana Technology to advance digital bunkering solutions

 

Photo credit: Ofiniti
Published: 22 July, 2026

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Technology

Genevos and Koedood Marine Group team up on maritime hydrogen fuel cell deployment

Collaboration will explore how ready-to-use marine fuel cell systems can support shipowners and shipyards in the transition towards zero-emission operations.

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July 20, 2026

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Genevos and Koedood Marine Group team up on maritime hydrogen fuel cell deployment

Marine fuel cell systems provider Genevos recently said the company signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with engine supplier Koedood Marine Group to explore the deployment of hydrogen fuel cell systems for inland and coastal maritime transport. 

The LOI was signed by Phil Sharp, co-founder and CTO of Genevos, and Mühlheim, Business Development Director of Koedood Marine Group during the 2026 Advanced Maritime Technology Show in Amsterdam.

Building on Koedood’s proven experience in hydrogen maritime projects – including its ongoing work with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and TNO on hydrogen engine development – the collaboration will explore how ready-to-use marine fuel cell systems can support shipowners and shipyards in the transition towards zero-emission operations. 

“Koedood has a strong reputation in the maritime sector and a deep understanding of vessel operators’ needs. This LOI is an important step in exploring how Genevos’ hydrogen fuel cell systems can be deployed more widely across inland and maritime applications, helping shipowners reduce onboard emissions with robust, practical and scalable clean power solutions,” said Sharp.

The collaboration aligns with growing market demand for rapidly deployable hydrogen solutions and the wider need to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission technologies across the maritime sector. 

“With this collaboration, we are further strengthening our portfolio of maritime energy solutions. Together with Genevos, we are exploring how we can support our customers in the adoption of hydrogen technology,” said Mühlheim.

 

Photo credit: Genevos
Published: 20 July, 2026

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