The new SGD8m ($5.7m) Maritime Energy Test Bed will be a boost to the maritime industry by developing cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions, during a time of more stringent regulations on ship emissions and energy efficient standards in the coming years, according to Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
The Singapore port authority officially opened the research facility in Singapore on Monday.
Some of the clean energy technologies would include scrubbers, and alternative energy sources such as biodiesels. Such clean energy solutions are able to deliver cost savings and competitive advantages, and enhance the reputation of maritime companies for championing sustainable technologies, MPA believed.
The facility will also serve as an educational platform for students, and PhD candidates to get hands-on experience.
“MPA is pleased to partner NTU, Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) and our industry partners in this strategic undertaking. The fruition of the Maritime Energy Test Bed represents a successful collaboration between the research sector and the industry, and is a timely development as the maritime sector looks to green and sustainable technologies to save on costs, mitigate the effects of climate change and address growing environmental regulations,” commented Andrew Tan, chief executive of MPA.
The Maritime Energy Test Bed is jointly funded by NTU and SMI. SMI will contribute SGD4.7m over the next 10 years, while NTU is providing SGD3.4m, with support from other maritime leaders such as Japan’s ClassNK.
With strong funding, the facility comes equipped with a fully-fledged 1.5 megawatt diesel ship engine, which can run on most of the conventional liquid fuel types for energy research such as biodiesel, gas-to-liquid, and synthetic diesel.
It will also be installed with advanced sensors and monitoring devices to facilitate research innovation in energy storage, noise pollution and waste heat recovery.
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited. Add Seatrade Maritime News to your Google News feed.
