(Photo: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore's X)
Singapore's first public charging station for electric harbor crafts (e-HC) commenced its trial operation at Marina South Pier on April 8. Scheduled for full operation in May, the two-year trial is poised to assist the maritime industry to reduce carbon emission, spurred by startups and policy initiatives.
Harbor crafts refer to small vessels limited to specific waterways, including ferries and supply ships.
According to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), data collected during the trial will serve as reference for the overall harbor craft charging infrastructure project and implementation. National standards will be formulated based on this data.
Starting from 2030, the Singapore government mandates that all newly acquired harbor crafts must be electrically powered, utilizing clean biofuels or zero-emission fuels like hydrogen. In terms of biofuels, B50, with the highest blend ratio of biodiesel, has already been introduced into the local market, while the MPA is collaborating with industry stakeholders to set standards for B100.
The new charging station owned by Pyxis Energy, a subsidiary of electric vessel startup Pyxis Maritime, and operated by SP Mobility. It deployed a single 150 kW charger which can fully charging a 500 kWh battery capacity vessel within 3 hours, enabling it to sail approximately 50 nautical miles.
Before it opens to public, the charging station primarily serves Pyxis Maritime's latest electric vessel, Pyxis One. With an estimated 6-8 sailings per day, it could potentially reduce up to 480 KG of carbon emissions.
There are 1,600 harbor crafts in Singapore currently, 6 of which are electrically powered. Teo Eng Dih, chief executive of the Maritime and Port Authority, stated that the number of electric vessels is expected to reach several tens soon, predicting the figure will grow quickly when the cost of adoption comes down and the industry is supported with financing.
