Singapore opens ocean basin to simulate operating environments

The SGD107m facility based the Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine, Singapore (TCOMS) offers a depth of 50 metres in the centre pit making it one of the deepest in the world. The centre pit allows for ultra-deepwater simulations.

The ocean basin facility is equipped with wave and current generation systems, a towing carriage and a movable floor to simulate challenging ocean environments that offshore platforms, ships and underwater systems operate in. There are similar facilities in Denmark, Norway, Australia, and the UK.

Frederick Chew, CEO of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) said: “The commissioning of the state-of-the-art ocean basin facility is a significant milestone for TCOMS. Based at NUS (National University of Singapore), TCOMS will create fresh opportunities for high impact engineering research and initiatives in areas beyond the Marine & Offshore Engineering sector, such as protection against coastal flooding brought about by climate change and rising sea levels.

“TCOMS will also develop capabilities to integrate ocean-atmosphere, coastal waves and tidal-current models with engineering solutions to address the vulnerabilities of low-lying coastal areas like Singapore,” he added.

Prof Chan Eng Soon, CEO of TCOMS said, “With its unique combination of physical-numerical modelling and simulation capabilities, TCOMS is also well placed to do its part in nurturing our younger generation with the necessary skillsets and expertise to lead the sector to greater heights. We therefore welcome our stakeholders to use the facility as a platform for knowledge creation, training, upskilling and lifelong learning.”

TCOMS is a joint venture between the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

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