MPA Sets Out Upcoming Initiatives in Maritime Digitalisation, Decarbonisation and Manpower Development

At the 23rd Singapore International Bunkering Conference (SIBCON) organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (“MPA“) and held from 8 to 10 October 2024, Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and the Ministry of Transport, shared the efforts that Singapore has been undertaking to develop and enhance its maritime sector, as well as upcoming initiatives that are set to be implemented. These initiatives relate mainly to the areas of digitalisation, decarbonisation, and manpower development.

Some of the key initiatives announced are highlighted below.

  1. Digital Bunkering
    • All bunker suppliers will be required to provide digital bunkering services and issue electronic bunker delivery notes (“e-BDN“) as a default from 1 April 2025. This will expedite administrative processes, improve accountability, ensure compliance, and support early detection of fraudulent activities.
    • MPA will introduce a centralised e-BDN record verification facility to enable key stakeholders to verify the e-BDN received against the information transmitted to MPA.
    • Enterprise Singapore, via the Singapore Standards Council, will launch a new Singapore Standard (“SS“) 709 Specification for Digital Bunkering Supply Chain Documentation, which targets data consistency and interoperability between digital systems through trusted and verifiable digital bunkering documents.
    • Enterprise Singapore has launched the revised SS648 Code of Practice for Bunker Mass Flow Metering to include data integrity and transmission requirements.
  1. Reducing Business Costs and Rules Review
    • MPA has been working with industry and unions to review rules and reduce business costs.
    • From 1 April 2025, MPA will reduce the frequency for the verification of mass flow meters from twice to once a year. This is in line with the updated SS648:2024 standards.
  1. Adoption of Maritime Artificial Intelligence
    • MPA has been co-developing maritime artificial intelligence (“AI“) products with industry and cloud providers, including two new AI-driven applications to improve the accuracy and efficiency of renewals of Singapore-registered ship certificates.
    • The first new AI-driven application is DocuMind which uses multi-modal Large Language Models to read information from various document formats. The second new AI-driven application is DocuMatch which verifies the relevant data against internal databases and recommends application approvals. Both applications will be launched on 1 January 2025.
    • MPA plans to apply the use of such AI-driven tools to more industry use-cases next year to enhance efficiency for all port users.
  1. Multi-Fuel Bunkering
    • MPA and the Energy Market Authority are considering proposals for the provision of a low- or zero-carbon ammonia solution on Jurong Island for power generation and bunkering.
    • To support the operationalisation of a higher mix of low-carbon alternative fuels, Enterprise Singapore and MPA are developing the Singapore standards for methanol bunkering and ammonia bunkering by 2024 and 2025 respectively. 
  1. Maritime Singapore Green Initiative 
    • Aligned with the strengthened global commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships, MPA will continue to facilitate global negotiations currently underway at the International Maritime Organisation.
    • MPA has updated various green initiatives and incentives under the Maritime Singapore Green Initiative to encourage early adoption of zero and near-zero emission technologies and fuels, for which MPA will commit S$50 million to support its implementation.
  1. Green and Digital Shipping Corridor Collaborations
    • Singapore and Shandong province of the People’s Republic of China have signed the Singapore-Shandong Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (“GDSC“) to support closer digital and green fuel collaboration.
    • Three major shipping lines, Hafnia, K-Line and MOL, are in early discussions to join the Singapore – Port of Los Angeles – Port of Long Beach GDSC.
    • The potential demand for zero or low-emission fuels from all shipping lines within the Singapore-Port of Rotterdam Authority GDSC corridor was discussed at the GDSC stakeholder workshop.

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