$300m blueprint to cut maritime emissions

At least $300 million will be pumped into reducing emissions for the maritime industry here over the next 10 years, as Singapore seeks to take the lead on green shipping, leveraging its established role as a global cargo and refuelling hub.

Transport Minister S. Iswaran yesterday said the sum will be invested into programmes under a new blueprint, which aims to achieve net zero emissions at all port terminals by 2050.

It will also go towards making Singapore more ready for a multi-fuel future - an unprecedented situation in the centuries-old shipping industry - in which a range of marine fuels like biofuels, methanol, ammonia and even hydrogen may be used by different ships.

As technology progresses, all domestic harbour craft should be running either on net zero fuels or electricity by 2050.

By the same year, half of the ships flying the Singapore flag and listed under the Singapore Registry of Ships - one of the world's biggest, with about 4,000 vessels - should also be certified green, meaning that they have found ways to reduce their carbon emissions.

Mr Iswaran said maritime centres like Singapore can play a role in achieving the emissions targets set by the International Maritime Organisation.

The blueprint comes after recommendations made by an international advisory panel last year and inputs from consultations conducted by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

The blueprint also has more medium-term goals - at least a 60 per cent reduction in absolute emissions at port terminals by 2030 compared with 2005 levels, and a 15 per cent reduction in absolute emissions for domestic harbour craft by 2030 from 2021 levels.

The MPA said research on cleaner marine fuels and setting standards on issues like carbon accounting should also strengthen Singapore's value as an international maritime centre for the new age.

In April last year, the Government announced the setting up of a $120 million global decarbonisation centre to research and pilot programmes to make greener shipping a reality. The global centre has already signed several partnerships, with a focus on quickly putting smaller-scale projects through real-life pilots to test their viability.

Giving an update on the maritime industry, Senior Minister of State for Transport Chee Hong Tat said MPA will use artificial intelligence and machine learning to manage the increasing scale and complexity of ship movements in Singapore's waters, which see more than 1,000 vessels daily.

The next-generation vessel traffic management system will be equipped with advanced smart collision detection capabilities, he said, and be based at the future port operations control centre in Tuas. It will be completed in 2025.

There will also be 5G coverage in Singapore's port waters. This will support the delivery of goods from Singapore's shores to ships parked in anchorages via drones. "5G will support our vision to be the Silicon Valley of MarineTech, and be a game changer to differentiate our port from the competition," Mr Chee said.

Widespread use of 5G applications in Singapore's ports should become reality in the next two to three years, MPA said, and development of 5G coverage will be centred on the Maritime Drone Estate near Marina South Pier.

Mr Chee also said career programmes in the maritime industry have led to around 200 mid-career workers making the switch to take up new maritime roles since 2018.