Electrification: it is (or was) an unlikely contender to help the shipping industry decarbonize but it seems to be developing as a viable solution for niche areas.
Wilhelmsen Ships Services and Yinson GreenTech, the green tech subsidiary of Malaysian energy company Yinson, have agreed to build charging infrastructure for the “Hydromover”, which is Singapore’s first fully electric cargo vessel.
Launched about this time last year (November 2023), Hydromover is a battery electric light cargo aluminium-hulled catamaran with a cargo carrying capacity of up to 25 tonnes on a 60 metre square deck. With a length of 25 m, a beam of eight metres, and a draught (full load) of 1.6m, the vessel has a cruising speed of eight to 10 knows and a half-load range of up to 40 nautical miles. The vessel is classed with Rina and flies the Singaporean flag.
Wilhelmsen Ships Service has achieved a milestone by completing the first delivery of a customer order onboard the Hydromover during its commercial trials in September 2024.
This project aligns with ongoing efforts by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI), aiming to promote the electrification of harbour craft as part of broader industry shifts towards lower-emission solutions.
