The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Friday (14 February) issued Port Marine Notice No. 13 of 2025 to notify the maritime community on the testing of Singapore’s first electric cargo vessel Hydromover in an area north of Selat Sinki :

TESTING OF SMART NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEMS ON THE CRAFT “HYDROMOVER” NORTH OF SELAT SINKI

Date : With effect from 15 Feb 2025 to 30 Mar 2025.

Location : North of Selat Sinki, within the test area bounded by the following co-ordinates (see attached chartlet):

Working Hours : During daylight hours, daily including Sundays and Public Holidays.

Details : Testing of smart navigational systems on board the craft, Hydromover will be carried out in an area north of Selat Sinki. A target vessel will be manoeuvring around the Hydromover as part of the testing. A safety boat will be deployed to warn vessels navigating in the vicinity of the test area.

Further enquires relating to the project can be directed to:

Mr. Lew JiaHui, Project Manager,
Tel: +65 9049 3474, email: [email protected] 

Or

Mr. Matthew Tseng, Projects, VP,
Tel: +65 8299 7776, email: [email protected] 

`Caution : When in the vicinity of the test area, mariners are reminded to:

• Keep well clear and not to enter the test area;
• Maintain a proper lookout;
• Proceed at a safe speed and navigate with caution;
• Maintain a listening watch on VHF Channel 68 (West Control and Sinki Control); and Communicate with West Control or Sinki Control for assistance, if required.

Please call Capt. Faroque Hossain Sikder at Tel: 6325 2472 or Marine Safety Control Centre (MSCC) Duty Officer Tel: 6325 2488/89 for clarification on this Port Marine Notice.

Note: The chartlet of the test area can be found here.

Manifold Times previously reported green technology solutions provider Yinson GreenTech (YG) together with Goal Zero Consortium (Goal Zero) led by SeaTech Solutions (SeaTech) officially launching the Hydromover, marking a critical milestone in the decarbonisation of Singapore’s maritime industry.

The vessel is designed with swappable battery solutions and can carry up to 25 tonnes of cargo.

Related: Goal Zero Consortium launches Singapore’s first electric cargo vessel Hydromover
Related: Yinson GreenTech commences construction of all-electric cargo vessel “Hydromover”
Related: Yinson GreenTech all-electric crew transfer vessel to undergo sea trials in Singapore

Photo credit: Yinson GreenTech
Published: 17 February, 2025

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) Tuesday (11 February) announced that it has prepared the 2025 Implementation Plan for Environment-Friendly Ship Distribution in accordance with the first Master Plan for Environment-Friendly Ship Development and Distribution (2021-2030).

The government enacted the Act on the Promotion of Development and Distribution of Environment-Friendly Ships in December 2018 to mandate the public sector to build environment-friendly ships and provide the private sector with a legal basis to reduce acquisition taxes and provide subsidies when converting into environment-friendly ships. 

As a result, 199 ships were converted into environment-friendly ships as of last year.

This year, the government, local governments, and public institutions plan to invest approximately KRW 222.3 billion (USD 154 million) to support the building or conversion of 81 environment-friendly ships.

The public sector plans to build a total of 34 environment-friendly vessels, including electric-powered or hybrid ships, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, 15 operating ships will be equipped with diesel particulate filters (DPF) to reduce fine dust emissions.

In the private sector, support will be provided for building 20 ships in keeping with the demand for transitioning to environment-friendly vessels. Financial assistance such as secondary financing will continue to be offered as well for 12 vessels for installing environment-friendly equipment.

Meanwhile, applications for the 2025 First Phase of the Certified Environment-Friendly Vessel Supply Support Project will be accepted from 31  January 31 to 27 March to support the construction of environment-friendly vessels by small and medium-sized coastal shipping companies operating in domestic ports.

Eligible applicants include coastal shipping companies that order certified environment-friendly vessels such as electric-powered or liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fuelled ships. Selected applicants can receive subsidies of up to 30% of the ship's construction cost depending on the certification grade and vessel construction expenses.

“We will make generous investments in small and medium-sized shipping companies to convert into environment-friendly ships, drastically reduce greenhouse gases in the shipping industry, and proactively respond to strengthening international decarbonization regulations,” Minister Kang Do-hyung said.

Photo credit: Lauren Seo on Unsplash
Published: 14 February, 2025

Viking Line, Port of Turku and Ports of Stockholm on Thursday (6 February) said they have now laid a solid foundation for a green shipping corridor project and developed a clear plan for a common way forward.

This comes after working together for a year on the project which aims to establish a green, fossil-free shipping corridor between Stockholm and Turku. 

On the anniversary on 6 February, the parties and a large number of invited stakeholders gathered for an open seminar in Turku, Finland. Results, experiences, challenges and opportunities were discussed based on the common goal of establishing a green maritime corridor between Stockholm and Turku by 2035.

Magdalena Bosson, CEO Ports of Stockholm, said: “We are very pleased with the cooperation and the work done during the first year.”

“We have been investing in onshore power supply infrastructure for ships for many years and Viking Line is one of the pioneers. Now we are further sharpening our goals together with the other parties to establish a fossil-free shipping corridor between Stockholm and Turku.”

Jan Hanses, CEO Viking Line, said: “We are proud to be part of this important co-operation project for a cleaner Baltic Sea. Our most significant investment so far is to offer all our passengers and freight customers biofuel for transport between Stockholm and Turku, reducing emissions for their journeys by 90%.”

“In addition, a possible battery installation and Elogrids, which reduces energy consumption, are important elements of our work in the coming years.”

Elogrids is a grid system installed on the ship's hull to reduce resistance and improve fuel efficiency. It optimises water flow and reduces turbulence, resulting in lower energy consumption.

Erik Söderholm, CEO Port of Turku, said: “A green shipping corridor gives us the opportunity to promote sustainable development and reduce the environmental impact of shipping.”

“During the past year, we have started more detailed planning of measures related to the green shipping corridor, such as updating our carbon footprint calculation and preparing for the development of charging stations for heavy traffic.”

During the first year, the parties have identified and prioritised the most important goals and measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in shipping. 

A clear project plan with activities has been developed, including:

Viking Line

• Pre-study of battery installation on Viking Grace and Viking Glory
• Installing Elogrids on the vessels
• Increase sales of biogas supplements for transport between Stockholm and Turku

Port of Turku

• Study and pilot project for onshore power supply at the quay
• Zero emissions from Viking Line vessels at berth
• Guidelines and incentives for port operators for zero emissions
• In collaboration with external actors, develop concepts that link the green shipping corridor with sustainable transport from and to the port on land
• Opportunity for shipping companies to bunker sustainable fuels

Ports of Stockholm

• Zero emissions from Viking Line vessels at the quayside
• In collaboration with external actors, develop concepts that link the green shipping corridor with sustainable transport from and to the port on land
• Opportunity for shipping companies to bunker fossil-free fuels

Photo credit: Ports of Stockholm
Published: 7 February, 2025