8 smart buoys in S’pore waters from 2026 to enhance sea safety

SINGAPORE – Eight smart buoys will be installed progressively in Singapore’s waterways from 2026, as part of a push by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to use technology to boost safety at sea.

The buoys will be equipped with sensors that can collect data about the marine environment, such as currents, and transmit it in real time to MPA to help it monitor Singapore’s waters, the agency said.

“These smart buoys serve as digital sentinels supporting safe navigation,” said Senior Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai on July 15.

He announced MPA’s plans in his opening address at the International Safety@Sea Week, which is being held at the Conrad Singapore Marina Bay.

MPA said data collected from the smart buoys will be used for marine traffic management, incident response planning and environmental monitoring and modelling. “The data can also be shared with government agencies, institutes of higher learning and research institutes to support various use cases to benefit Singapore,” the agency said.

It added that the smart buoys will be installed within Singapore’s port waters where marine traffic is high and where data collected may be useful for environmental modelling.

In the future, these smart buoys may also be used to relay information to ships and warn of adverse weather conditions, Mr Murali said.

The use of smart buoys is one example of how the maritime industry can “complement human capabilities... to better predict, prevent and respond quickly to safety hazards and incidents at sea”, said Mr Murali.

He also spoke of the increasingly complex challenges faced by the maritime industry, such as heightened geopolitical tensions and climate change.

An attack on a bulk carrier in the Red Sea earlier in July underscores the “urgent need” to protect the safety of seafarers, Mr Murali said.

The Liberia-flagged, Greek-operated carrier sank in the Red Sea on July 9, following attacks over two consecutive days by Yemen’s Houthi militants.

Ten of the ship’s complement of 22 crew and three guards were rescued. The remaining 15 are considered missing, including five who are believed to be dead.

The secretary-general of the International Maritime Organisation, Mr Arsenio Dominguez, thanked Mr Murali “for recognising the challenges we’re facing when it comes to safety and security, particularly in the Red Sea”.

Speaking at the same conference, Mr Dominguez said: “I will continue to condemn those cowardly attacks.

“Shipping should not be collateral damage for geopolitical situations. Seafarers should not be negatively affected because of geopolitical situations, and we need to do our best not just to invest in people, but in protecting them as well.”

On the issue of climate change, Mr Murali noted that changing weather patterns and the rise in extreme weather events are making navigation increasingly more challenging and uncertain.

‘Not all rough seas and dark skies’

But “it is not all rough seas and dark skies ahead”, Mr Murali said.

He called for collaboration in training the maritime workforce, collaboration and partnerships within the sector, and leveraging of technology to augment existing capabilities.

One way Singapore is supporting the ongoing training of the maritime workforce is through the Maritime Energy Training Facility (METF) to equip maritime workers with skills to handle clean marine fuels.

Since April 2024, the facility has trained more than 600 seafarers and maritime professionals. Its target is to train more than 10,000 seafarers by the 2030s.

MPA is also developing a digital platform for the METF that will give individuals and companies easy access to training courses.

Mr Murali said the digital platform will be ready by end-2025.

On fostering closer collaboration and partnerships, Mr Murali announced that the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) will open a regional office in Singapore.

The Straits Times understands the office will open in July.

The ICS is the global trade association for shipowners and operators, and represents over 80 per cent of the world’s merchant fleet.

“ICS’ regional office in Singapore contributes to our thriving ecosystem, reflecting Singapore’s commitment to being a trusted global hub port and contributing to the advancement of maritime safety,” Mr Murali said.

In terms of leveraging technology, Mr Murali pointed to Singapore’s Maritime Digital Twin, a dynamic, real-time virtual model of the Port of Singapore, powered by artificial intelligence.

Integrating live data from vessels, port operations and environmental sensors, this digital twin will improve navigational safety, operational efficiency and environmental sustainability, MPA said in March.

The digital twin is also expected to enhance situational awareness and emergency response to oil and chemical spills.