SINGAPORE - The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Monday launched an expression of interest (EOI) inviting proposals for the design and promotion of full-electric harbour craft in Singapore.

MPA said the EOI will allow the authority to assess and validate proposals for the best and most cost-effective reference designs of full-electric harbour craft.

These include design standards and guidelines for vessel structure optimised for efficiency, integrated battery management and energy storage systems, and essential safety systems such as emergency back-up, cyber security and firefighting capabilities.

Such reference designs will complement the local research capabilities to develop the full-electric harbour craft for various uses, said MPA.

The EOI also invites proposals to demonstrate the commercial viability and scalability of different business models, based on an aggregated harbour craft fleet, to meet demand at the Port of Singapore.

This move will facilitate the development of green financing models to develop electric harbour craft, said MPA.

“With common referenced designs and the aggregation of demand, we hope to reduce the upfront premiums and operating costs for new harbour craft.

“This will also support the development of green financing options and enhance the skills of our maritime workforce,” said MPA chief executive Teo Eng Dih.

The EOI will start by focusing on the design and support for transitioning smaller harbour craft to electrification.

MPA said there are currently about 400 of these deployed, out of some 1,600 harbour craft performing a range of marine services within the Port of Singapore.

The suitability of electrification as a decarbonisation pathway depends on several factors, added the authority, including the operating profile and energy requirements of the harbour craft.

The Ministry of Transport requires all harbour craft operating in the Port of Singapore to be either fully electric, capable of using B100 biofuel, or compatible with net-zero fuels such as hydrogen from 2030 onwards.

Operators should inform MPA about any new harbour craft plans from January 2027, ahead of the 2030 goal, to allow for time for adjustment to the designs.

Interested parties can visit the MPA website for more details and to submit their proposals by 11.59pm on Sept 15. THE BUSINESS TIMES