Yinson GreenTech’s marinEV is starting commercial trials for the Hydromover, Singapore’s first fully electric cargo vessel, developed by the Goal Zero Consortium and funded by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI).
The lightweight 18.5 m zero-emission Hydromover, designed with swappable battery solutions and can carry up to 25 tons of cargo, will reduce operational costs compared to conventional vessels due to significant energy and maintenance cost reductions.
The commercial trials are open to industry leaders looking to reduce carbon footprint from business activities. This will support Singapore’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions in the domestic harbor craft sector by 2050 while allowing harbor craft operators to trial a fully electric lighter craft as part of their existing fleet, experiencing the operational benefits of the innovative technology first-hand.
The inaugural commercial trial commenced with OPL Services on 26 August 2024, when the vessel was handed over by marinEV at the Lita Ocean shipyard. Over the next few months, the Hydromover will be available to harbor craft operators in Singapore to trial charter the vessel as part of their operational fleet of harbor crafts.
Yinson acknowledged six potential partners who have provided letters of intent to charter the Hydromover for operational trials with a view to electrifying their fleets in the future. These include two Goal Zero partners, Lita Ocean and DM Sea Logistics, as well as OPL Services, Kanlian Ferry, RW Marine Services, and Tian San Shipping. The six parties’ combined fleet is over 200 vessels, marking significant potential for future conversion to electric vessels.
Stanley Ong, Director of Netline Group, the parent company of OPL Services, said: “As prospective owners, we would like to further understand the capabilities and limitations of an electric vessel and what tangible benefits an EV would bring to the industry and us as business owners.
“Our future plans are to align with MPA’s green targets by 2030. Therefore, understanding Hydromover and its future iterations is of utmost importance to us as we embark on this journey.”
Photo credit: Yinson GreenTech. marinEV hands over the Hydromover to OPL Services at Lita Ocean shipyard, marking the start of its commercial trials for the fully electric cargo transfer vessel in Singapore’s port waters.
