[BATAM] An alliance of companies led by Kuok Maritime Group (KMG) on Wednesday (Feb 5) launched an electric supply boat and started construction on an electric tug – both among the first and largest electric harbour craft designed to operate in local waters.
Their unveiling comes as Singapore aims for all-new harbour craft to be fully electric or compatible with net-zero fuels by 2030, as part of efforts to decarbonise the maritime industry.
The vessels “bring us closer to achieving a green and operationally efficient maritime sector”, said Tan Thai Yong, chairperson of the Coastal Sustainability Alliance (CSA) and managing director and chief executive of KMG unit PaxOcean Group.
The electric supply boat, called PXO-EXL-1, cruises at a speed of 8 knots and can accommodate a payload of 40 tonnes or 60 pallets. It can achieve 60 per cent energy savings over a conventional lighter – a flat-bottomed barge vessel – that makes multiple trips.
This provides “significant costs and carbon emissions reduction”, said CSA in a press release. The alliance will bring together international shipping agencies to explore offtaking arrangements and trial the electric supply boat in the second half of this year.
The electric tug, called PXO-ACE-1, is slated for completion in Q1 2026. It is the first electric tug to be assembled, delivered and operated in Singapore, and is supported by the Maritime Innovation and Technology Fund of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
The tug incorporates advanced technologies for propulsion, energy storage and battery management systems, said CSA. The vessel is also ready to accommodate zero-carbon fuels.
Singapore’s maritime industry has been exploring the transition towards greener fuels, such as biodiesel, methanol and ammonia, while also stepping up energy-efficiency retrofits. MPA aims for “green ships” to make up half of the Singapore Registry of Ships fleet by 2050.
Kenneth Lim, MPA’s assistant chief executive for industry and transformation, said the authority is committed to working with industry partners such as CSA to achieve Singapore’s decarbonisation goals.
