Speech by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Chief Executive Lam Yi Young at the Launch of the New Maritime Fuel Cell Research Initiative Between MPA and Temasek Polytechnic
Mr Boo Kheng Hua
Principal & CEO, Temasek Polytechnic
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good afternoon. It is my pleasure to be here today for the launch of the new Maritime Fuel Cell Research Initiative between Temasek Polytechnic and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
MPA and Temasek Polytechnic will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding today that will not only mark today’s launch, but also our first collaboration in developing maritime technologies.
The main aim of the Maritime Fuel Cell Research Initiative is to promote and support projects on the use of fuel cell and other technologies applicable to the maritime industry. As Mr Boo mentioned earlier, up to $6 million dollars of funding will be made available for this Initiative. MPA’s Maritime Innovation and Technology Fund or MINT Fund, will set aside $4 million dollars to fund this Initiative. Together with Temasek Polytechnic’s contribution of $1 million dollars, we will jointly work toward securing industry funding of another $1 million.
We are happy to work with Temasek Polytechnic on this Initiative of fuel cell improvement and maritime technology projects, as this is very much aligned with our MINT Fund’s focus areas of clean energy and technologies for greener shipping and port management. We are hopeful that the success of these projects will benefit Singapore and the international maritime community.
As most would be aware, preserving the environment is a key challenge facing the international maritime community. The challenges are varied and complex. They range from prevention of oil spills from ships, invasive alien marine species to air emissions which contribute towards climate change. The international maritime community has been hard at work responding to these environmental challenges such as exploring the use of alternative clean fuels and technologies to improve fuel efficiency and savings.
I am pleased to note that two fuel cell research and test-bedding projects have already been identified under the MOU. One of them is on the use of fuel cell onboard ships to provide Auxiliary Power in place of the diesel generator, which will cut down on emissions. I understand there will be a short presentation on this project later that will provide technical details how this will work.
I would like to take this opportunity to encourage more industry players to partner with Temasek Polytechnics to come up with innovative ideas and projects that will provide useful solutions to address the various operational and environmental challenges faced by the maritime community.
Conclusion
As a major flag registry and the world’s busiest port, Singapore is strongly committed to environmentally-friendly shipping and port activities. MPA will continue in our efforts to promote maritime R&D and adopt green technologies that will help the maritime industry in contributing towards a cleaner and greener environment.
All these cannot be achieved without the commitment and support from all partners and stakeholders in the maritime industry. I look forward to more partnerships with Temasek Polytechnic in the future, and on this note, I wish you a pleasant afternoon ahead.
Thank you.