The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has partnered with Pyxis Energy, Pyxis Maritime, SP Mobility, Seatrium O&G, and Yinson Electric to test vessel charging concepts in the region.
Pyxis and SP Mobility’s proposal will be installed at Marina South Pier, while MPA will collaborate with Seatrium and Yinson to refine their concepts before testing.
The selection followed MPA’s request for proposals (CFP) issued on 29 August 2023, to create, manage, and maintain e-HC charging sites throughout Singapore.
At the closure of the CFP on 19 October 2023, MPA received 12 proposals from firms and consortiums for the two-year trial, with the possibility to extend for another year.
Pyxis Energy Pte Ltd, Pyxis Maritime Pte Ltd, and SP Mobility Pte Ltd partnership’s proposed concept is based on Direct Current (DC) charging, and was reportedly selected for the viability of the proposed price charging model and their experience and good track record of implementing charging points for electric vehicles.
Their suggested charging station for this CFP also meets the national electric vehicle charging standard established by Technical Reference 25:2022, which served as a proxy for this CFP while MPA developed national charging infrastructure requirements for e-HCs.
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The alliance intends to operate its fleet of e-HCs at Marina South Pier, where they will act as the base offtake to optimise the charging infrastructure and collect complete data throughout the test.
The pilot will run from March 2024 to March 2026, with the opportunity to extend another year to March 2027. Pending outcome and findings, the concept could be applied to other sites to support e-HC operations in the Port of Singapore, reported the MPA.
Insights from the data collected also aim to contribute towards the development of a national e-HC charging infrastructure masterplan, implementation plan, and also the national standards for e-HC charging infrastructure to support e-HC operations in Singapore.
The national electric vehicle charging standard set by Technical Reference (TR) 25:2022 will be used as a reference for the development the national standards for e-HC charging.
The TR reportedly covers the safety criteria for electrical installations that provide power for charging electric cars or batteries, as well as the testing and inspection requirements for electric vehicle charging stations.
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MPA noted that from 2030, all new harbour craft operating in the Port of Singapore will have to be fully electric, be capable of using B100 biofuel, or be compatible with net zero fuels such as hydrogen.
MPA plans to progressively roll out the charging infrastructure for e-HC operations in Singapore from 2025.
This month, MPA set a new annual vessel arrival tonnage record of 3 billion gross tonnage (GT) in 2023.
