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Goal Zero Consortium launches Singapore’s first electric cargo vessel Hydromover

Vessel is designed with swappable battery solutions, generates zero emissions and can potentially reduce operational costs by up to 50% compared to conventional vessels.
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Goal Zero Consortium launches Singapore’s first electric cargo vessel Hydromover

Green technology solutions provider Yinson GreenTech (YG) together with Goal Zero Consortium (Goal Zero) led by SeaTech Solutions (SeaTech) officially launched the Hydromover on Thursday (23 November), marking a critical milestone in the decarbonisation of Singapore’s maritime industry.

The lightweight, 18.5 metres Hydromover is Singapore’s first fully electric cargo vessel. The vessel is designed with swappable battery solutions and can carry up to 25 tonnes of cargo. It generates zero emissions and can potentially reduce operational costs by up to 50% compared to conventional vessels due to improved energy efficiency and lower maintenance costs.

The vessel was Goal Zero’s submission and one of the proposals under the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) joint Call-for-Proposals for the electrification of harbour craft to be awarded R&D grants from both the MPA Maritime Innovation and Technology (MINT) Fund and SMI Fund in August 2021. The Hydromover is the first project to be ready for commercial trials, which puts it in an advantageous position in the commercialisation and innovation space.

YGT spearheaded Hydromover’s programme management, system solutions and commercialisation, while its Goal Zero partners were involved in other parts of its development. As lead, Seatech spearheaded the vessel design; Shift Clean Energy was the battery technology partner; RINA Hong Kong Limited Singapore Branch was the classification society; while Lita Ocean was the builder of the Hydromover.

During the ceremony, YGT acknowledged five potential partners who have provided letters of intent to charter the Hydromover for operational trials, with the view to electrify their fleets in future. These are two Goal Zero partners Lita Ocean and DM Sea Logistics, as well as OPL Services, RW Marine Services and Tian San Shipping. The five parties’ combined fleet stands at over 150 vessels, marking significant potential for future conversion to electric vessels.

RINA also handed over the Certificate of Classification to YGT during the event, signifying the Hydromover’s admission to class survey and compliance with RINA Rules for battery-powered vessels. The vessel has also passed an extensive risk assessment relating to battery operation and swapping, ensuring compliance with the most stringent international safety standards in the maritime industry.

The Hydromover will serve as a ‘living lab’ for YGT and Goal Zero’s R&D partners including the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), and the Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine, Singapore (TCOMS), which are working on a holistic digital twin of the vessel. This will facilitate research on the combined effects of variables such as vessel hydrodynamics, propulsion, motor dynamics and battery performance, allowing ship designers and operators to enhance operational efficiency and safety.

The vessel was designed, engineered, and constructed in Singapore, with all major suppliers being local companies. YGT intends to explore more potential partnerships and knowledge sharing within the industry for ongoing enhancements and upgrades to the vessel. This paves the way to elevate Singapore’s expertise for maritime-related green technology and strengthens the city-state’s hub status.

YGT Chief Executive Officer, Mr Eirik Barclay, said: “Being the first to launch a fully electric lighter craft in Singapore marks a transformative moment for YGT. The Hydromover exemplifies what can be achieved through strategic partnerships and alliances with like-minded partners. We are excited to have already received expressions of interest from across the region including Indonesia, where YGT has begun talks with interested parties to deploy the vessel for backwater transportation of goods and electrification of local fishing vessels.

“We are confident of reaping significant advantages from being an early mover in the race to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and we are pleased to already be in talks with supportive financing partners such as UOB and potential equity partners.”

MPA Assistant Chief Executive (Industry and Transformation), Mr Kenneth Lim, said: “I would like to congratulate YGT on the launch of the Hydromover. This is a significant milestone for the Goal Zero Consortium which had responded to previous MPA -SMI Joint call-for-proposals for the electrification of harbourcraft. The knowledge and capabilities gained through the development of the electric lighter craft will certainly add to the industry’s understanding of electric harbourcraft designs and technology options for cargo transport vessels. MPA looks forward to work with more like-minded partners, including research agencies and financial institutions, to accelerate the decarbonisation of the harbour craft fleet in Singapore.”

SeaTech, Vice President Technology, Mr Prabjot Chopra, said: “Congratulations to YGT on the launch of the Hydromover. We are proud to lead the Goal Zero Consortium and design this pioneering electric lighter craft. This marks a pivotal moment in Singapore’s journey towards the electrification of harbor craft. We celebrate with YGT this significant achievement and foresee the Hydromover to be a catalyst in Singapore’s pursuit of a greener harbour. We wish the Hydromover fair winds and following seas on its voyages ahead!”

Mr Eric Lian, Head of Group Commercial Banking, UOB, said: “The launch of the Hydromover will drive the revolution of cargo transportation in the maritime industry. As the lead bank to finance YGT’s development of the prototype, we are pleased to support this achievement, and the efforts of MPA and SMI to promote sustainability through innovative green projects. We stay committed to work towards our national goal of decarbonising the maritime industry, to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.”

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: 24 November, 2023

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WK NatPower expands inland shipping electrification drive into Jiangsu

WK NatPower and Jiangsu Port Investment will strengthen collaboration across the maritime, port and clean energy sectors, bringing together expertise in shipping, port infrastructure and electrification technologies.
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September 3, 2026

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WK NatPower expands inland shipping electrification drive into Jiangsu

Wah Kwong NatPower (WK NatPower) on Wednesday (2 September) said it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jiangsu Port Group Investment Management Co Ltd (Jiangsu Port Investment), a wholly owned subsidiary of Jiangsu Port Group, at the Jiangsu International Maritime Conference in Nanjing. 

The company said the MoU strengthens collaboration across the maritime, port and clean energy sectors, bringing together expertise in shipping, port infrastructure and electrification technologies.

As China’s leading province for inland waterway transport, with the country’s largest inland waterway network, Jiangsu plays a critical role in the nation’s shipping and logistics system. 

“The partnership represents a strategic step in WK NatPower’s China strategy,” the company said in a statement. 

Building on the momentum of its Zhejiang projects, WK NatPower is extending its footprint further into one of the country’s most significant inland shipping areas. By leveraging the strengths of their respective parent companies, Jiangsu Port Group, Wah Kwong Maritime Transport and NatPower, the parties will also establish a cooperation mechanism to explore opportunities for deeper collaboration and enhance the complementary use of global maritime and port resources.

From a technological perspective, WK NatPower is evolving from individual charging infrastructure towards integrated energy systems combining charging, battery storage and battery-swapping solutions capable of serving a broader range of operational scenarios. 

By combining the international experience and global network of WK NatPower and its partner NatPower Marine, with Jiangsu Port Group’s local resources and project delivery capabilities, the partnership will promote coordinated regional development. 

It also demonstrates WK NatPower’s commitment to the electrification of China’s inland waterway transport sector.

 

Photo credit: Wah Kwong NatPower
Published: 3 September, 2026

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Port electrification could cut 10% of international shipping emissions, study finds

Finding offered hope that the 10% of international shipping emissions which occur within port areas, can be effectively mitigated via electrification technologies such as cold ironing at berth.

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August 31, 2026

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RESIZED Chris Pagan

UCL Shipping and Oceans Research Group on Thursday (27 August) said new research has suggested that 10% of international shipping emissions occur within port areas globally. 

The finding offered hope that these emissions can be effectively mitigated via electrification technologies such as cold ironing at berth, switching to battery electric propulsion whilst idling or manoeuvring at port and converting vessels engaged with short-sea routes to battery-operated electric vessels. 

Presented as an interactive tool on the UCL Shipping and Oceans Research Group website, the ‘Shipping GHG Emissions Explorer’ aims to improve the evidence base supporting IMO negotiations due to resume next week on the adoption of the Net Zero Framework (NZF). 

Built using a dataset of 1.2 million voyages undertaken by over 43,000 unique vessels across a single year, the tool offers IMO delegations visibility on which of 575 million tonnes of CO2e emissions generated by international shipping can be attributed to their country’s economic activity.

James Stewart, Research Fellow in the Analytics of Energy and Transport at the UCL Shipping and Oceans Research Group, said: “Although imperfect, AIS-centred big data approaches have revolutionised our ability to understand key trends in the energy demands and GHG emissions associated with international shipping activity. The tool offers users the chance to benefit from this unprecedented clarity by downloading aggregate data directly from the platform, where interested parties are encouraged to explore and validate available statistics with any complementary datasets they may have access to.”

The tool offers energy demand and GHG emission statistics during port and voyage phases alongside disaggregation possibilities by vessel type, port and maritime trade partner, enabling users to explore key trends in international shipping activity. Future updates to the tool slated for release in September will provide users with additional statistics on state-level seaborne trade volumes and potential economic impacts of the proposed amendments to the IMO NZF ahead of their potential for adoption later in  the year.

Yoseph Ismail, Research Assistant at the UCL Shipping and Oceans Research Group, said: “Having the ability to breakdown international voyages by their ‘In port’ and ‘In voyage’ emissions has given us significant insight into what benefits electrification in port could bring. Our granular approach has allowed us to discover key trends in the country data. 

“For instance, 7 out of 10 countries in Latin America/Caribbean and 8 out of 10 in East Asia Pacific that have the highest in port emissions are small island nations. These countries emissions, are all well above global and regional averages, and often above 20%. Further analysis into the reasons for this could go a long way towards finding the most cost-effective solutions to bring down emissions.”

Note: The Shipping GHG Emissions Explorer can be found here.

 

Photo credit: Chris Pagan on Unsplash
Published: 31 August, 2026

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Baltic Workboats delivers biomethane-powered multi-purpose workboat

“KRATT” is Estonia’s first large workboat to use biomethane as its primary fuel and is also equipped with a 400 kWh battery bank for electric propulsion.

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August 19, 2026

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Baltic Workboats delivers biomethane-powered multi-purpose workboat

Baltic Workboats recently said a new 38-metre multi-purpose workboat, KRATT, built for the Estonian State Fleet, has been christened at its Nasva shipyard in Saaremaa on 12 August. 

KRATT is Estonia’s first large workboat to use biomethane as its primary fuel and is also equipped with a 400 kWh battery bank for electric propulsion. 

On biomethane, the vessel can travel up to 1,000 nautical miles at a speed of seven knots. On battery power, it can operate for up to two hours at five knots. The battery bank also allows the vessel to use electric power for up to ten hours while at anchor, reducing the need to run auxiliary engines as well as fuel consumption, emissions and noise levels.

From autumn, the vessel will carry out a wide range of maritime tasks in Estonian waters, from buoy handling and fairway maintenance to marine research, pollution response and rescue operations.

According to Andres Laasma, Director General of the Estonian State Fleet, the gradual renewal of the state-owned fleet is essential to ensure the country’s ability to carry out its maritime duties.

“Our main workboats today are on average 30-40 years old, and maintaining their reliability is becoming more difficult and costly year by year. The new workboat KRATT will help ease this situation, as it is a multi-purpose vessel capable of performing a wide range of tasks,” Laasma said.

KRATT is the first major workboat ordered by the state in the past ten years.

 

Photo credit: Baltic Workboats
Published: 19 August, 2026

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