A new hybrid-electric multi-purpose patrol vessel for the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will help to advance the port’s electrification and decarbonisation goals
Designed by naval architectural and marine engineering firm BMT,and developed in collaboration with Penguin Shipyard International, MPA Guardian is an advanced hybrid-electric aluminium catamaran designed to conduct patrolling activities, search and rescue, oil spill response, drone operations and salvage support. Commissioned at the Port of Singapore in April, MPA Guardian has shallow-water rescue capabilities, a launching platform for drone deployment, and chemical gas detectors and equipment to contain and respond to marine oil spills.
With accommodation for 24 and a wheelhouse designed specifically to suit MPA’s operational requirements, the 35-m patrol boat will supplement the existing fleet of six 17-m patrol craft, with the capability to be deployed in a command-and-control role during multi-vessel operations, and as first responder in a wide variety of missions. It will also be used by the Singapore Government as a test bed for new technologies.
Further extending the vessel’s rescue capabilities is a 7-m fast rigid-inflatable boat, mated with a launch and recovery system that was jointly developed by BMT and Penguin.
Equipped with diesel engines and batteries, the vessel is capability of operating in full-electric, zero-emissions mode at 6 knots for up to three hours.
The vessel can also operate in a diesel-electric mode to achieve continuous medium-speed operation. In this mode, power is drawn from one of the two main engines to propel both shafts while recharging the batteries. This mode offers a significant advantage by way of emissions reduction and reduced wear and tear on the engines.
In conventional diesel-mechanical mode,MPA Guardian can run at a top speed close to 27 knots. In this mode, the electric generation capability offered by the hybrid system also removes the need for diesel generators sets on board.
“These features, combined with a highly efficient hullform optimised for minimal resistance across the entire operating speed range, give rise to a low-emissions, future-proofed vessel that will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of the Port of Singapore,” said BMT in a press statement.
At the vessel’s ceremony in April, MPA chief executive Quah Ley Hoon said, “As we work towards a sustainable Maritime Singapore, reducing emissions from the domestic harbour craft fleet is an important focus area. Developing a hybrid diesel-electric vessel with electric propulsion, we made sure our new enhanced patrol craft would be ready for a greener future.”
Singapore has plans to develop all-electric harbour craft and supporting charging infrastructure to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its coastal and inland waters. There are some 1,600 diesel-powered vessels that operate in Port of Singapore. It has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 36% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels.
BMT specialised ship design managing director Andy Holdcroft said, “This new design, developed collaboratively with Penguin, incorporates advanced hybrid propulsion technologies optimised specifically to the requirements of MPA. For years to come, this will allow MPA to operate with reduced emissions of greenhouse gas, making the port of Singapore more sustainable with the added benefit of reducing maintenance and operational costs.”
Added Penguin managing director James Tham, “This project builds on our good working relationship with BMT and demonstrates our commitment to new technologies applied to real-life operations. Penguin, together with BMT, has set a new standard for high-speed hybrid-electric vessels.”
Last year, Penguin delivered hybrid-electric pilot boat Penguin Tenaga to Shell Eastern Petroleum in Singapore, and in a separate project, is refitting Penguin Tenacity, an existing roro vessel, with a proton exchange membrane hydrogen fuel cell.
