Managing ammonia risk

BACKGROUND
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?

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

• Exposure to ammonia over time could result in life-threatening health effects
  or death
• 2021 case of ammonia leakage on-board an LPG tanker resulted in one
  seafarer death and three in critical condition
• Ammonia bunkering in Singapore is near densely populated areas, and
  dispersion of ammonia will pose a safety hazard to residents, hence leak
  containment is essential
• Mitigation of ammonia spills and venting of fumes during bunkering
• N₂O gas is generated during burning as a fuel
• Ammonia slip with unburnt gases which might be vented through the exhaust

POTENTIAL MARKET SIZE

• Global green ammonia market size was valued at USD 151.57 million in 2022
  and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of
  116.5% from 2023 to 2030

EXISTING EFFORTS

• Start-up “Measure.AI” has partially addressed this in SPC2023
• Water curtains are used to manage ammonia dispersion, but has a limited
  effectiveness

SOLUTION SUCCESS PARAMETERS

• 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

POTENTIAL SOLUTION SPACES

• End to end sensing system/network placed onboard for detection and
  monitoring
• More effective technology to mitigate the dispersion of ammonia and N 2 O gas
  out of the vessel’s engines
• Vapour return system for bunkering system to ensure ammonia fumes are
  treated
• Robotics for ship operations especially for the engine room, pump room, and
  other enclosed spaces
• Metaverse training for crew to raise awareness about precautionary measures
• Improved ship design to reduce leakage of ammonia
• Video analytics that can pick up on ammonia leakage
• Removal of ammonia through chemicals/absorbents that can neutralise liquid
  and gaseous ammonia effectively

Improving crew safety in handling methanol as a fuel

BACKGROUND
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?

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

• Methanol is highly flammable, toxic and fires are invisible to the eyes.
• It has a faint alcohol odour, and its presence can only be detected by the human nose at 2000ppm, which is 10 times the safe limit.
• There are increased risks of using methanol as a fuel as it is more flammable than conventional fuel.
• Singapore has one of the world’s highest frequencies of lightning strikes, so significant concerns exist on methanol fumes being ignited during bunkering.

POTENTIAL MARKET SIZE

• Applicable to crew onboard methanol fuelled vessels and bunker barges which are estimated to reach 1,200 ships globally by the year 2030. Many more ship owners are converting their existing fleet to fuel their ships with Methanol.
• Terminal workers and truck operators who are involved in the bunkering process will also face similar challenges.

EXISTING EFFORTS

• Personal gas detectors only measure limited types of gases of a certain concentration.
• Current sensors are mainly designed and rated for petrochemical plants, and few are designed for ships and seafarers.

SOLUTION SUCCESS PARAMETERS

• 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.

POTENTIAL SOLUTION SPACES

• End to end systems and network for sensing methanol leaks.
• More effective technology to mitigate the dispersion of methanol fumes out of the vessel.
• Bunkering vapour return system for capturing methanol fumes.
• Robotics for ship operations especially for the engine room, pump room, and other enclosed spaces.
• Metaverse training for crew to raise awareness about precautionary measures.
• Improved ship design to reduce leakage of methanol.
• Video analytics that can pick up methanol leakage.

Enhancing charging & battery performance

BACKGROUND
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?

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

• The low energy density of batteries is unable to support vessels that are large or travel long distances and require significant electricity.
• High cost of batteries, and high investment to retrofit existing internal combustion engines with electric motors impede adoption. For new builds, the cost of a fully electric vessel is 1.5 – 3 times higher than that of conventional vessels. If these higher costs are passed on to the customer, competitiveness of the industry might be affected.
• Currently, marine batteries have other auxiliary systems which makes them heavy and bulky.
• Charging and discharging of batteries generate heat, which may cause battery deterioration.

POTENTIAL MARKET SIZE

• Applicable to all-electric vessels, including Singapore’s harbourcraft population of 1,600.
• The global electric vessel market size was USD 7.98 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.9% from 2023 to 2030.

EXISTING EFFORTS

• Lithium-sulphur batteries have energy densities 50% higher than Li-ion batteries but have not yet been commercialized, and face the issue of short lifespans.

SOLUTION SUCCESS PARAMETERS

• 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.

POTENTIAL SOLUTION SPACES

• High energy density to enable fast charging.
• 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.
• Li-Sulphur and Li-Sodium are other possible chemistries.

Developing next generation wind assist technology to improve fuel efficiency

BACKGROUND

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?

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

• WASP is not necessarily new, but innovative startups has brought about various wind sail technologies (flettner rotors, suction sails, rigid sails, soft sails, kite sails etc.) to the maritime market.
• It is a renewable energy source and can be harnessed effectively on many trade routes with high commercial shipping traffic.
• Many concepts for wind assist propulsion are still nascent and have not reached an acceptable technology readiness level for shipping companies.

POTENTIAL MARKET SIZE

• Applicable to both new and existing ships, its estimated to grow from a USD 300 Million a year in this decade to USD 2.5 Billion a year market in the 2050s globally.

EXISTING EFFORTS

• Fletter rotors, Rigid Sails, Soft Sails, Kite Sails & Suction sails are some examples of current solutions in various stages of development.
• Control systems incorporate weather data and AI modelling to effectively adjust operational parameters.

SOLUTION SUCCESS PARAMETERS

• 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 t to be retracted or folded to avoid collisions with port structures or bridges.

POTENTIAL SOLUTION SPACES

• Sail designs which are effective and suitable for use on various vessel types.
• Able to maximize wind power at various directions and with minimum crew intervention.
• Easy to install during drydocking for retrofits.

Strengthening situational awareness with AI and Computer vision

BACKGROUND

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?

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

• There has been an increase in global maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships, from 115 incidences in 2022 to 120 in 2023.
• These incidents threaten crew safety and might also lead to collision of ships.

POTENTIAL MARKET SIZE

• The maritime security market was USD 19.9 billion in 2023 and is forecasted to have a compound annual growth rate of 5.2% to USD 26 billion in 2028.
• Applicable to vessels with routes along piracy hotspots such as the Straits of Malacca, Red Sea, and Gulf of Guinea.

EXISTING EFFORTS

• Military grade surveillance radars are able to pick up on small ships without transponders.
• Currently reliant on watchkeepers keeping a lookout for suspicious craft.
• Computer vision and AI are already being used onboard ships but this needs to be expanded beyond the ship.

SOLUTION SUCCESS PARAMETERS

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

POTENTIAL SOLUTION SPACES

• Leverage existing radar to detect craft without transponder, flag out small crafts and anomalies such as loitering behaviour or potential collisions.
• AI-based small craft image recognition system with a 360 degrees camera (offered as an add-on to smart ships) that can identify small craft.
• Piracy map.
• Tracking device for stolen cargo ship.
• Crowdsourcing platform for seafarers to update on ship attacks.

Securing business critical data

BACKGROUND 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?

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

There might be operational inefficiencies as navigation and real-time monitoring systems are hindered by unreliable connectivity.

POTENTIAL MARKET SIZE

• Inmarsat receives approximately 100 cases of speed-related issues per day.
• Will not be applicable to harbourcrafts which rely on 4G routers

EXISTING EFFORTS

Network bandwidth management tools in the market such as ManageEngine provide visibility on bandwidth utilisation by applications and allow users to define which ones to prioritise.

POTENTIAL SOLUTION SPACES

• 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.

Man overboard in Port waters

BACKGROUND

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?

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

Man overboard (MOB) incidents represent a critical safety concern within maritime operations, particularly in port waters. Factors such as adverse weather conditions, equipment malfunctions, and human error contribute to the occurrence of MOB incidents, highlighting the need for comprehensive solutions to enhance detection, response, and prevention efforts. Addressing this problem is paramount to ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals working in maritime environments and minimizing the potential for fatalities and injuries associated with MOB incidents.

There are several factors which can lead to MOB:

• Lack of knowledge and safety awareness, maintenance (pilot ladder not checked by crew before deploying, etc.)
• Rough weather (b winds, choppy waters, etc.)
• Incompliant pilot transfer arrangements (snapped pilot ladder, no proper securing of pilot ladder to ship’s side, wrong ladder used, etc.)
• Poor judgement/ practice (missed step while transferring, boat driver fails to move away when person is climbing on the ladder, person climbing pilot ladder with bulky luggage, person refuse to wear lifejacket, etc.)
• Lack of training or people with acrophobia, or people with physical/mental fatigue.
• Manual intervention required to activate the PLB (i.e. deploy antenna and switch on the PLB when person in water).
• PLB signal (GPS only) unable to be picked up (by Vessel Traffic Management System, by vessels, etc.)
• Below are some cases extracted from WSH Case Studies year 2020 Working In and Around Water.
• Worker fell from height after rope ladder broke.
• Worker fell into sea while attempting to climb ladder to board a barge.
• Worker drowned after falling into water.
• Worker fell into the sea when gangway tipped over.
• Worker fell into the sea while moving from vessel-to-vessel.

POTENTIAL MARKET SIZE

• Applicable to anyone whenever they are over water in Singapore, some examples as below:
• Port Inspectors, Flag and Port State Control Officers, Port Chemists, etc
• Other Government officers (Police Coast Guard, SCDF Marine, etc)
• Marine Pilots
• Shipyard workers, shore technicians
• Vessel crew, visitors, bunker surveyors, class surveyors/ auditors, radio surveyors, etc.
• Private and leisure activities (Launch boats, Yacht clubs, kayaking, jet skis, etc.)
• Members of the public who visit vessels in the Port of Singapore.

EXISTING EFFORTS

• MPA lifejackets are of the twin chamber buoyancy featuring a fully automatic CO 2 firing mechanism to provide buoyancy of 275N with a reserve compartment that can be deployed manually as back up.
• These lifejackets are also fitted with additional Automatic Identification System Personal Locating Beacon (AIS-PLB) for keeping track of MOB position whilst recovery is carried out.
• The AIS-PLB is automatically deployed and signal capable of being picked up by vessels, Vessel Traffic Management, etc. Signals are transmitted via AIS, integrated DSC (Digital Selective Calling) transmitter and GPS (Global Positioning System).

SOLUTION SUCCESS PARAMETERS

• Cost effective
• Easy to use
• Lightweight

POTENTIAL SOLUTION SPACES

• 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.

Shipboard sensor kit for harbour craft

BACKGROUND
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?

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

The current concept revolves around three main aspects:
(1) detect leaks,
(2) monitor their extent, and
(3) supporting decision-making.

However, conventional marine environment monitoring systems, lack a unified platform for correlating and data analysis. Off-the-shelf sensor kits, although available, are typically standalone and lack interoperability and analytics capabilities.

Real-time monitoring: With sensor fusion, data from various environmental sensors can be collected and analysed in real-time, providing up-to-date information on environmental conditions. This will enable early detection and allow for timely response and mitigation measures to be implemented.

Comprehensive coverage: By integrating data from multiple sensors, a more comprehensive picture of the maritime environment can be obtained, allowing for better understanding and assessment of environmental parameters.

Enhanced Decision-Making: By providing accurate and timely data, sensor fusion systems support informed decision-making by maritime authorities, environmental agencies, and vessel operators, facilitating effective resource management and environmental protection efforts.

POTENTIAL MARKET SIZE

• Applicable to all harbour craft in Singapore, with approximately 1600 propelled ones operating in Singapore’s waters in 2023.

EXISTING EFFORTS

• Currently there are integrated sensors, but they are catered more for buoy platforms, not for installation onboard harbour craft.

SOLUTION SUCCESS PARAMETERS

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

POTENTIAL SOLUTION SPACES

Some preliminary requirements are given below:

1. Sensor capabilities and accuracy*
   • Wind speed (range 0 – 60m/s, accuracy + 0.3m/s)
   • Wind direction (range 0-360°, accuracy + 3°)
   • Air temperature (range -50 to 60°C, accuracy ± 0.3°C)
   • Relative humidity (range 0 to 100%, accuracy ± 3%)
   • Location sensor (accuracy ± 3m) – Not limited to GPS or GNSS
   • Ammonia gas detector (range 0 to 1000ppm, accuracy ± 15ppm)
   • Methane gas detector (range 0-100 %LEL, accuracy ±3 %LEL)
     *Typical values and subject to vendor/datasheet specified operating and environmental
     conditions, as well as sensor quality and calibration
2. Engineering design
   • Weatherproof housing (minimum IP67 and above)
   • Design for high compliance to Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) specifications
   • Protection against excessive vibrations
   • Corrosion-resistant to salt-water
   • Quick deployable and versatile mounting system to allow mounting on almost any surface
     (e.g. pole-mount)
   • Small sensor kit footprint to be deployable on harbour craft, ideally within
     300mm x 300mm
3. Power considerations
   • Typical shipboard/harbour craft available electrical power supply connection
   • Battery backup system with charging function
   • Solar power integration if possible
4. Telemetry and associated functions for sensor kit
   • Selected datalogger should be modular and able to integrate with third-party sensors (e.g. subsea and meteorology sensors) via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).
   • Sensor interface inputs and outputs should include (but not limited to):
     • Analog inputs (4-20mA)
     • Serial Digital Interface at 1200 baud (SDI12)
     • Digital inputs, Digital outputs
     • RS-232, UART, RS-422, RS-485, Modbus serial interfaces
     • CANbus protocol (AiCaP) using XML for plug and play capabilities.
     • USB for local PC operations
     • LAN (RJ-45) for networked operations
     • Cellular (4G/5G) or Wi-Fi for wireless communications
     • Local display with inbuilt status LED indicators, externally visible
     • Integrated strobe for visual alarm indication
     • Integrated siren for audible alarm indicator

Enhancing connectivity for digital port services

BACKGROUND

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?

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

• MPA is pushing Digitalisation initiatives to enhance efficiency, transparency and crew safety.
• Transactions in anchorage could involve millions of dollars.
• Disruptions during digital transactions would affect effectiveness of the operations.
• Connectivity interference between large vessels and smaller vessels like harbourcraft.

POTENTIAL MARKET SIZE

• Harbourcrafts operating in Singapore waters.
• Solutions can be test bedded in Singapore port waters and potentially scaled to other ports.

EXISTING EFFORTS

• M1 is setting up maritime 5G base stations with support from MPA and IMDA but this is unlikely to overcome all connectivity issues between harbourcrafts and large ships.

SOLUTION SUCCESS PARAMETERS

• Stable broadband connectivity equivalent of 4G data rate.
• Within space constraints of vessel if solution is hardware-based.

POTENTIAL SOLUTION SPACES

• 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

Improving autonomous truck performance

How can the operational performance of existing autonomous truck deployments be improved in inclement weather conditions?

BACKGROUND

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?

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

• Heavy rain can interfere with sensors (e.g. lidar, cameras) used by autonomous vehicles (AV) for perception and decision-making
• Raindrops might create sensor noise or obstruct the surroundings, leading to reduced accuracy and potentially causing the vehicle to either stop or take a course of action contrary to its intended behaviour
• Reflections from water on the ground might hinder perception abilities
• Camera/vision-based sensors might be occluded when the rain is too heavy

POTENTIAL MARKET SIZE

• Total market size could also include other AV deployments in the logistics sector locally that face similar constraints

EXISTING EFFORTS

• Sensor fusion using a variety of inputs from different sensors
• Software filtering/de-noising solutions to reduce the impact of rain
• These existing solutions are insufficient as the autonomous truck is still unable to function as well as a human driver piloting the truck

SOLUTION SUCCESS PARAMETERS

• 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

POTENTIAL SOLUTION SPACES

• Software or hardware that can augment existing sensors

Building a circular ecosystem

How can we develop closed-loop systems for collecting, cleaning, and recycling waste (e.g. used cotton gloves, rugs, and mooring ropes)?

BACKGROUND

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. There are 15 categories of scope 3 emissions, of which category 5 (waste generated in operations) is challenging to tackle as items disposed could be contaminated and/or made of composite materials that are difficult to recycle. As such, how can we develop closed-loop systems for collecting, cleaning, and recycling waste (e.g. used cotton gloves, rugs, and mooring ropes)?

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

• Cotton gloves/rugs can become heavily contaminated with substances like soot, grease and industrial oils during use for equipment maintenance, complicating the recycling process
• Many items are made of composite materials, which require advanced recycling plants equipped with sophisticated technology to recycle
• Even with advanced recycling technology, recyclers face difficulty in ensuring a consistent supply of specific feedstock so that operations are economically viable (e.g. required feedstock might surpass the amount of waste generated, or only a fraction of the total waste generated can be utilised as feedstock)

EXISTING EFFORTS

• Implementing closed-loop systems such as repurposing materials like empty chemical drums, steel cables and air-conditioning units thereby curbing waste generation.

SOLUTION SUCCESS PARAMETERS

• Should not cause adverse impacts on the current equipment maintenance regime
• Should retain useful properties such as breathability, comfort and absorbency (for alternative cotton products)

POTENTIAL SOLUTION SPACES

• 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

Remote Pilotage

BACKGROUND

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?

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

This operational model poses safety risks for pilots during boarding and disembarking stages, as they approach vessels—whether stationary or moving—via pilot launches and use the vessels' means, including boarding ladders, to come onboard. To address safety and efficiency concerns, the concept of "remote pilotage" is being explored. Remote pilotage involves licensed pilots conducting piloting duties from off-board positions.

In collaboration with MPA and PSA Marine, ST Engineering developed the Remote Assistance Pilotage Advisory (RAPA) System, tested in 2018. While successful, challenges remain for full RAPA implementation:

• Poor weather conditions: Rain may impact network coverage, affecting the system's reliability.
• High demand: With over 400 pilotage moves daily, network coverage must accommodate significant traffic.
• Video quality requirements: Minimum resolution standards need confirmation to ensure effective communication.

EXISTING EFFORTS

Three cameras, each with a resolution of 1920 x 420, were utilized onboard. These cameras streamed data back to shore using LTE technology, with an estimated bandwidth consumption of 0.4Mbps. However, there were issues with lagging in areas where the throughput dropped below 0.1Mbps.

SOLUTION SUCCESS PARAMETERS

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.

POTENTIAL SOLUTION SPACES

To provide the shore-based pilot with adequate situational awareness and a clear view of the vessel for safe maneuvering, real-time video imagery from onboard cameras and shore-based long-range electro-optical systems are utilized, alongside AIS, sensors, and radar systems. However, the current data package size leads to issues such as video loss, freeze, or poor quality. The challenge lies in optimizing the data package for seamless ship-shore communication using a 5G network, without compromising video quality.

Building maritime cybersecurity resilience

BACKGROUND

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?

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

• High profile cyberattack cases: Maersk (lost USD 300 million)[1], DNV (affected 1,000 ships)[2]
• Financial costs of a cyberattack can go up to an average of USD 550,000 for the targeted organisation, which is a 200% increase from 2022[3]
• Other than financial costs, cyberattacks also create environmental, safety and reputational risks
• Ransom amounts have also increased by more than 350% in the past 12 months 10

POTENTIAL MARKET SIZE

• The maritime security market size is estimated to be USD 28 billion in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 7.32% till 2029.
• Challenges in software supply chain in the maritime industry.
• Human factors amongst seafaring crew remain a cybersecurity concern and 71% of maritime professionals are concerned about staff being an unintentional threat due to human error.
• Vulnerabilities within operational technology and Internet-of-things such as shipboard operations.
• LEO service providers do not have firewalls embedded and could be potential customers for cybersecurity start-ups.
• Ship owners and operators would be willing to pay for monitoring and detection of cyber risk onboard vessels.

EXISTING EFFORTS

• There are very few maritime-specific solutions in the market (less than five).
• Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity courses are available, but none specific to the maritime industry.
• Whitelisted USBs are currently kept with the captain.
• Establishment of Maritime Cyber Assurance and Operations Centre (MCAOC).
• Development of Maritime Testbed of Shipboard Operational Technology (MariOT) system.

SOLUTION SUCCESS PARAMETERS

• Cost-effective and ease of use.
• Ability to work within a 64 kbps Internet speed, and compatibility with service providers such as VSAT and satellite links.
• Scalable to handle varying numbers of devices and systems, from small fleets to large operations.
• Timely alerts to enable quick response for ships under attack.
• Monitoring and detection of vessel or drone cyber risk at MCAOC, to complement their solutions.
• Enable cybersecurity operation centre to deploy preventive measures such as automated responses, alerts, and mitigation strategies.
• Intuitive and user-friendly interface for monitoring and managing alerts.
• Performance metrics detection. KPIs such as detection rate, false positive rate, response time, and system uptime meeting or exceeding industry benchmarks.
• On board deployment with hardware dimensions fitting into a 18U rack.
• Lightweight application as most onboard computers have limited performance.

POTENTIAL SOLUTION SPACES

• 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.

Improving charging optimization using predictive modelling

BACKGROUND

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?

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBLEM

• Singapore’s busy port experiences high traffic of approximately 140,000 ships passing through annually.
• If there are long waiting times for charging, there could be greater congestion which will reduce operational efficiency and affect the attractiveness of Singapore as a global seaport.

POTENTIAL MARKET SIZE

• Applicable to all-electric vessels, including Singapore’s harbour craft population of 1,600.
• The global electric vessel market size was USD 7.98 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.9% from 2023 to 2030.

EXISTING EFFORTS

• On land, there are multiple apps that display real time availability of EV chargers but this does not exist for the maritime sector yet.
• Companies like Yinson, Seatech, Pyxis, Paxocean/CSA, Seatrium, Penguin/Shell etc.

SOLUTION SUCCESS PARAMETERS

• Solution should account and optimise for:
  • Tidal conditions, such as high and low tide
  • Suitability of charging berth / space for different vessel types (e.g., cannot anchor too near the shore, width and length of vessel has to be compatible with charging space).
  • Compatible with Power Management System / Battery Management System onboard vessel.
  • Suitability and types of charging points (e.g. CCS2).
  • Capacity of sea space.
  • Friendly-user interface with real-time dashboards with key information, including.
    • Location of charging points
    • Availability status of charging points
    • Estimated length of time required for charging
      • Assuming no over-staying, to notify potential users when chargers are available (i.e. the e-HC currently occupying the charger has completed its charging)
    • Interface with event notification that will prompt the user that e-HC charging has been completed to avoid over-staying
  • Data acquisition and insights (Data aggregated shall be used by MPA or its consultant for analysis and insights to contribute towards the development of National Electric Harbour Craft Charging Infrastructure Standards and Master and Implementation Plan).
  • App should be cyber-secured to prevent any unauthorised hacking or tampering of information.
  • Incorporated with AI to advise the user on the best time to charge the e-HC, given availability of chargers.
  • Open data standards and platform format to encourage users to adopt and access the ecosystem.

POTENTIAL SOLUTION SPACES

• 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

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.