Green technology solutions provider Yinson Green Technologies Pte Ltd (“YGT”) together with its Goal Zero Consortium partners (“Goal Zero”), held the keel laying ceremony to mark the start of the construction of the Hydromover - a fully electric cargo vessel with swappable batteries, according to the company's release.
The pilot vessel is on track to be launched by the second quarter of 2023 and ready for commercialisation in the second half of 2024. Developed by Goal Zero, the lightweight, 18.5m Hydromover is able to carry cargo up to 25 tonnes (including batteries).
The vessel, being all-electric, has zero emissions and targets to achieve up to 50% operational cost savings due to improved energy efficiency and lower maintenance costs. Its battery, when depleted, can be easily swapped within minutes to minimise operational downtime. It will also be equipped with advanced vessel management system to provide seamless control to the crew as well as state-of-the-art sensors to enable future readiness of autonomous operation.
The Hydromover was Goal Zero’s submission, and one of the three winning proposals announced by MPA and the Singapore Maritime Institute (“SMI”), to develop and commercialise an all-electric cargo vessel with interoperable swappable battery infrastructure solutions. The call for proposals had attracted participation from 73 companies and 10 institutes of higher learning.
The consortiums with the winning proposals were given five years to launch their pilot vessels. YGT spearheads the Hydromover’s overall programme management and commercialisation, while Seatech Solutions International Pte Ltd (“Sertich”) leads Goal Zero in vessel design and system integration.
They are joined by Shift Clean Energy as battery technology partner; Rina Hong Kong Limited Singapore Branch as classification society; Singapore Institute of Technology and Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine Singapore developing the operational profiles of different harbour craft types through digital twinning of the Hydromover.
Goal Zero is also supported by industry partners Batam Fast Ferry Pte Ltd, Bernhard Schulte (Singapore) Holdings Pte Ltd, DM Sea Logistics Pte Ltd, Marina Offshore Pte Ltd, Kenoil Marine Services Pte Ltd, Lita Ocean Pte Ltd and Jurong Port Pte Ltd.
Goal Zero consortium brings together the diverse expertise of 13 enterprises and research institutes. Project lead SeaTech takes on the roles of vessel designer and system integrator, while Yinson GreenTech is responsible for the overall programme management and commercialisation.
SeaTech Solutions International Pte Ltd (“SeaTech”) is the ship design consultancy headquartered in Singapore with focus on green technology solutions for decarbonising and digitalising the maritime shipping. In addition to the projects for Electric Vessels, SeaTech has projects for ammonia and methanol bunkering vessels and is designing support vessels for Offshore Wind. SeaTech’s portfolio has over 360 unique designs covering a diverse type and category of vessels.