Innovation Challenges

Managing Ammonia Risk

In the push towards decarbonisation, ammonia has been identified as one of the top three potential fuels for 2050. Singapore will be embarking on a project to develop an ammonia supply chain, including ammonia bunkering. However, there is a risk of ammonia leakage during bunkering or fuel consumption, and its toxicity and lethal effects are bottlenecks to increased adoption. How might we enable early detection and effective management of ammonia leaks?

What We Are Looking For

• Has to be cost-effective
• Have to be marinised
• Must be sensitive enough to detect ammonia concentrations of 20 ppm
• Has to send real-time alerts, especially for sudden leakages

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Improving Crew Safety In Handling Methanol As A Fuel

Methanol has gained global attention as a viable alternative, low-carbon fuel for the maritime industry as new methanol fuelled ships and bunker barges are ordered or converted. Singapore successfully conducted the world’s first ship-to-containership methanol bunkering in July 2023, and more such operations will occur in Ports & Terminals globally. How might we ensure that crew safely handles methanol as a fuel with the latest safety technology?

What We Are Looking For

• Cost of ownership.
• Ability to detect leakages of methanol vapours and invisible flames from ignition.
• Has to be real-time, taking into account the possibility of limited connectivity onboard ships.
• Ability to alert crew and/or ship manager before crew enters high-risk areas.
• Has to be marinised.
• Should be easy to maintain and calibrate.

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Enhancing Charging & Battery Performance

From 2030, all new harbourcrafts operating in Singapore’s port waters must be fully electric, be capable of using B100 biofuel, or be compatible with net-zero fuels such as hydrogen. However, adoption of electrification is slow and is not seen to be a practical solution for all vessels due to the limited energy density of batteries, and the high costs of batteries and associated retrofits. As such, how might we make battery solutions more effective for the maritime application?

What We Are Looking For

• Minimum of 500 kW battery for harbourcraft.
• Battery system should be safe for maritime use.
• Cost effective solution with minimal modifications such as light weighing.

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Developing Next Generation Wind Assist Technology To Improve Fuel Efficiency

Wind Assist Ship Propulsion (WASP) has seen a revival of interest in various wind sail technologies for ships. At the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) level, the technology has been identified as one of the key technologies to reduce fuel consumption on ships. Thereby, reducing carbon emissions and fuel costs. As such, how might we develop the next generation wind assist technology to bring them into the 21st century?

What We Are Looking For

• Effectiveness in various wind conditions and weather patterns related to trade routes.
• Compact enough to be able to fit on a deck of a tanker, Ro-Ro Vessel, bulk carrier or container ship.
• Ability to be retracted or folded to avoid collisions with port structures or bridges.

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Strengthening Situational Awareness With AI And Computer Vision

There have been increasing attacks by small crafts that blend in with fishing vessels and do not have AIS transponders, escaping detection by a regular ship’s navigation radar. There is also a need to alert surrounding ships to the perpetrator after its first attack, as patrols are often not prompt enough to prevent subsequent attacks. Similarly, ship owners or managers may also benefit from being alerted to risks such as crew safety breaches. As such, how might we improve situational awareness by detecting and flagging unusual behaviours?

What We Are Looking For

• Cost-effective commercial grade solution.
• Detect vessels at least 500m away.
• Compatibility with existing systems (if there are any camera systems onboard).

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Securing Business Critical Data

Ships share their connectivity bandwidth across many functions and seafarers, and are presently unable to apportion their bandwidth to mission-critical functions. As such, how can we batch critical data during disruption when bandwidth speed is slow and low?

What We Are Looking For

• Gatekeeping hardware, or software integrated in existing hardware that identifies and prioritises business-critical functions according to the Internet speed.
• Low bandwidth solution such as edge computing.
• Network separation.
• Data drop boxes for ships to send their data to.

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Man Overboard In Port Waters

Man overboard (MOB) incidents pose significant risks in port waters, where numerous vessels navigate through crowded and often complex environments. Despite safety protocols and regulations, such incidents can occur due to various factors such as human error, adverse weather conditions, or equipment failure. Prompt and effective response is critical to minimizing the risk of fatalities or injuries in these situations. However, traditional methods of responding to man overboard incidents in port waters may be inadequate, as they rely heavily on manual observation and communication, which can be slow and prone to errors.

Man overboard incidents in port waters have always been a challenge despite having lifejackets available for use. A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is worn by MPA inspectors as an additional accessory to the lifejackets for easy rescue. These measures, while helpful, highlight the ongoing need for innovative solutions to further enhance response capabilities and improve overall safety in port waters. How might we develop solutions to better manage man overboard situation in port waters?

What We Are Looking For

• Super lightweight lifejackets with back-up inflation and AIS-PLB despite any conditions.
• Lifejacket with propulsion means (for MOB to escape when trapped in water under vessel).
• Alternative means of boarding vessel.
• Installation of siren alarm in the lifejacket and to be activated when waterborne.
• New type of material for pilot ladders instead of the traditional manila ropes as required by current regulations.

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Shipboard Sensor Kit For Harbour Craft

The Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint 7 by MPA outlines 7 focus areas including “Future marine fuels (Eg. Ammonia, methanol and LNG), bunkering standards and infrastructure”. With the IMO’s ambition to halve greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2050, the world’s future fleet will have to rely on a wider range of fuels and adopt novel propulsion solutions and energy efficiency measures. While alternative fuel promise GHG reduction, they pose risk due to the toxicity and flammability. As these fuels gain traction, it is important to monitor vessels closely for safety. Early detection is imperative, demanding enhanced maritime domain awareness and integrated sensor system with remote monitoring capability. Such systems offer real-time data fusion from multiple environmental sensors, enabling prompt response to environmental conditions and informed decision-making. This comprehensive approach ensures crew confidence in operating vessels carrying future fuels and equips them to respond effectively to any challenge. How might we develop a multi-sensor kit that can enhance remote environmental modelling and maritime situation awareness?

What We Are Looking For

• Cost effective.
• Easy for installation on harbour craft.

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Enhancing Connectivity For Digital Port Services

Harbourcraft operators and (within the ship) face intermittent or unreliable internet connectivity when providing digitally enabled services to ships (e.g. ship supplies, apps, certain cases for bunkering), especially in anchorages further out at sea. In addition, receiving vessels might also have limited Internet connectivity. How might we overcome connectivity issues for digitally enabled services in port waters?

What We Are Looking For

• Technology that enhances internet connectivity (marinized, ruggedized, reliability)
• Edge devices to carry out data (de) compression and/or offer offline transaction/authentication
• Portable WIFI suitable for maritime applications

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Improving Autonomous Truck Performance

In a bid to improve port efficiency, PSA Corporation Limited (PSA Singapore) has embarked on several automation initiatives, one of which is utilising autonomous trucks for handling container movements within the port. However, these trucks are typically deployed in outdoor environments 24/7 and are exposed to inclement weather conditions, which affect their performance and disrupt operations. As such, how can the operational performance of existing autonomous truck deployments be improved in inclement weather conditions?

What We Are Looking For

• Has to improve autonomous truck performance to match the operating capabilities of a human driver in similar conditions (i.e. if a driver can continue driving, so should the AV)
• Agnostic to existing AV architecture/brands and can be implemented or integrated with the AV stack of multiple vendors
• Should not cause degradation or impact the performance of existing solutions

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Building A Circular Ecosystem

To reduce carbon emissions within the port, PSA Singapore has implemented various strategies such as electrifying its cranes and utilising low-carbon fuel horizontal trucks for port operations, targeting its Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Waste generated from operational activities is a significant contributor to Scope 3 emissions, but it is challenging to tackle because many items disposed of are contaminated and/or made of composite materials that are difficult to recycle, and feedstock fluctuations impede the adoption of advanced recycling technology. As such, how can we develop closed-loop systems for collecting, cleaning, and recycling waste (e.g. used cotton gloves, rugs, and mooring ropes)?

What We Are Looking For

• Platform to facilitate matching and collaboration of stakeholders including suppliers, waste management companies and recycling facilities
• Alternative cotton products made from materials that are easier to clean and less prone to contamination
• Recycling technologies which can valorise contaminated cotton, and/or composite materials
• Platform that consolidates and channels feedstock to recyclers to ensure a consistent supply

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Remote Pilotage

Existing regulations in the Singapore port mandate vessels 300GT and above to engage the service of authorised pilots for navigation within the port. This process involves pilots transferring to vessels via pilot launches, completing their tasks onboard, and then transferring to other vessels as needed. However, the current operational model limits each pilot to handling one vessel at a time, with 40% of their shift spent travelling between jobs. How might we develop solution(s) to support and enable remote pilotage?

What We Are Looking For

The goal is to develop a solution that can compress data packages for ship-shore transmission without introducing lag. Additionally, it should ensure that the minimum required video quality is maintained throughout the transmission process.

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Building Maritime Cybersecurity Resilience

With the rapid advancement of technology, operational technology (OT) systems on ships, command and control systems of drones, and unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs) have become integral to their efficient and safe operation. However, the increasing connectivity of these systems exposes them to significant cyber threats. Unauthorized access, malware and cyberattacks can lead to severe disruptions, compromising safety, data integrity and mission success. How might we develop lightweight and scalable solutions to remotely monitor operation technology (OT) systems of ships; command and control systems of drones; or unmanned autonomous vehicles that can be monitored at cybersecurity operation center (CSOC) for real-time anomaly detection and/or preventive intervention to against cyber interventions?

What We Are Looking For

• Technical solution that monitors and detects cybersecurity threats and risks remotely and cost effectively onboard vessels, port facilities, and networks.
• Technical solutions to be deployed on OT/IoT, sensors, etc. onboard vessels, port facilities, and networks to prevent cyber intrusion.
• Solutions to reduce human intervention in cyber events onboard vessels, port facilities, and networks to prevent cyber intrusion.

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Improving Charging Optimization Using Predictive Modelling

From 2030, all new harbourcrafts operating in Singapore’s port waters must be fully electric, be capable of using B100 biofuel, or be compatible with net-zero fuels such as hydrogen. To support the electrification of harbourcrafts, Singapore is developing its vessel charging infrastructure, and many companies have started piloting their vessel charging concepts. However, many factors pose a challenge to vessel charging, including tidal conditions, size of vessels, plug types, etc. As such, how might we improve the visibility and access to charging stations?

What We Are Looking For

• Condense structure of battery modules so that batteries can be lighter and more compact
• Re-use of batteries from EVs
• Batteries compatible with fast-charging (charge rate of more than 2C)
• Close energy density gap between Li-ion battery and Marine Gas Oil, from the current 40 times difference down to 2 times difference
• Safety design of battery modules / compartment space for enhanced safety and performance
• Enhancing the efficiency of the battery system
• Battery Thermal Management System to ensure optimal cooling for the most effective Battery performance
• Enhanced battery features, such as
  • Increased battery State-of-Health (SOH) and/or State-of-Charge (SOC)
  • Longer battery life cycle
• Battery system with Load Balancing to redistribute energy from an electric battery across the individual cells with similar capacity and voltage

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Open Category

Start-ups with technologies or solutions that can address the key focus areas of Maritime Green Technologies, Next Generation Ports, Smart Shipping, Digitalisation (Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity & Cloud) which have not been defined in the above 14 Innovation Opportunities, are also welcome to submit proposals in the Open Category.

In the application form, select ‘Open Category’. Your proposal should explain the specific port or maritime challenge you are aiming to solve and explain your innovation.

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