SINGAPORE – A dynamic real-time virtual model of the Port of Singapore, powered by artificial intelligence, will be trialled in the second half of 2025.
Integrating live data from vessels, port operations and environmental sensors, this digital twin will help enhance navigational safety, operational efficiency and environmental sustainability, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on March 24.
It is expected to improve situational awareness and emergency response to oil and chemical spills, noted the authority.
Minister of State for Transport and Law Murali Pillai said the port’s digital twin will help simulate various scenarios and model how pollutants are dispersed.
He announced the launch of the virtual model on March 24 at the opening ceremony of Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.
MPA noted that it will tap into the authority’s operational data, as well as open data sets on vessel information, marine spatial data and weather information.
Through the use of artificial intelligence and predictive analysis, the digital twin could strengthen safety management and emergency response through scenario planning for incidents such as oil and chemical spills, in addition to supporting decision-making during such incidents, said MPA.
It will help enhance standard operating procedures for the safe bunkering of alternative fuels such as methanol and ammonia, said Mr Murali.
“This will enable the development of tools to optimise port efficiency and reliability above, at and below the sea surface,” he added.
The digital twin will use live aerial drone feeds to improve situational awareness for operations such as drone delivery, inspection of vessel superstructure and incident management, noted MPA.
It will also tap into MPA’s system to provide real-time vessel activity and status updates, facilitating better planning and resource deployment for service providers.
The authority said this will help reduce waiting times, improve efficiency and minimise turnaround times for companies providing services to the vessels.
With real-time weather visualisation, MPA said the digital twin can allow the port of Singapore to plan ahead and reduce weather-related delays, in addition to enhancing worker and vessel safety.
Developed by MPA in partnership with the Government Technology Agency of Singapore, research institutes and industry partners, the digital twin will be rolled out to users later in 2025, and to the wider industry progressively, noted Mr Murali.
He added that MPA can extend this to the global maritime ecosystem in the future through its green and digital shipping corridors with other countries and ports.
Trials of the virtual model will begin in the second half of 2025, according to MPA.
The authority added that access to the system will be carefully managed, and its extension to the wider industry, maritime researchers and academia will be based on identified use cases.
At present, the digital twin replicates Singapore’s port waters including its anchorages, piers, ferry terminals and port terminals, noted MPA.
As more use cases are identified, the platform will then be expanded to include visualisation of more assets, it said.
Also among the announcements shared during SMW is an enhancement to the Tripartite Maritime Training Award (TMTA), which helps mid-career individuals gain skills and certifications for their transition to seafaring roles as third officers and fifth engineers on foreign-going ships.
These enhancements include a reduction in training duration from 31 to 22 months through a streamlined curriculum, an increase in monthly training allowances from $1,200 to $2,200, and a structured mentorship programme by experienced seafarers.
Applications for TMTA will open in April 2025.
On March 27, the fourth day of SMW, there will be a new Talent@SMW segment for students, early-career professionals and mid-careerists to connect with career and skills development opportunities in the maritime sector.
The 19th SMW will run from March 24 to 28, and is expected to have over 20,000 attendees from close to 80 countries.
It will feature an exhibition with four thematic zones showcasing maritime innovation and technology, maritime decarbonisation, and maritime services and talent, along with booths by various countries.
MPA also hosting public tours [available for booking](https://www.eventbrite.sg/o/maritime-and-port-authority-of-singapore-33118319721) that will take visitors through a maritime heritage trail, a maritime evolution trail and a discovery expedition, among others.
Some maritime vessels, including the Police Coast Guard’s patrol craft and MPA’s hydrographic survey vessel Mata Ikan, are on display.
SMW is an SG60 event to mark Singapore’s 60th birthday and showcase the nation’s role as a global hub port.
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