Research Showcase

The Application of Carbon Capture Technology for the Reduction of GHG Emission from Ships 

CCS Project photo

This project is a collaborative effort between MESD, NTU School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (SCBE), and Kuok (Singapore) Limited (KSL) Maritime Group. Together with the funding support from the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI), this private-public partnership aims to develop post-combustion CCS technologies for shipboard applications. The project includes a feasibility study of CCS, technology development, and testing of the technology with actual exhaust gas to determine the performance of CCS and identify challenges for scaling up the technology.

Role of Bio-LNG In Shipping Industry Decarbonisation

IMO aims to peak GHG emissions from international shipping as soon as possible and reduce the total annual GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008. Most likely, such a radical reduction in CO2 emissions to meet IMO’s goal in 2050 cannot be achieved without adopting alternative low-carbon fuels. Among various choices, liquefied methane (LNG and bio-LNG) can be a good candidate due to its abundance, competitive cost, technology readiness, and overall environmental performance. This project, in collaboration with SEA\LNG Limited, aims to gain an in-depth understanding of whether LNG and bio-LNG can genuinely support the shipping industry to achieve GHG emission reduction targets in a sustainable manner with the consideration of the whole value chain, including fuel production, logistics, and use onboard ships.

Evaluation of the Technical and Operational Feasibility of Methanol Fuelled Vessels in China and Singapore

Methanol produced from low carbon feedstock or energy sources is considered a promising fuel to decarbonise future marine transportation. A preliminary study on the feasibility of methanol fuel for Singapore harbour craft (methanol phase I) was completed in 2020 by MESD. As a follow-up, areas deserving further investigation shall cover the future supply chain of low carbon methanol, life cycle assessment, bunkering, fuel transition and engine requirement. In partnership with the China Waterborne Transport Research Institute (WTI), MESD launched a joint study on the technical and operational feasibility of methanol-fuelled vessels, backed by research collaborators Methanol Institute (MI), China Classification Society (CCS) and Swire Shipping Pte Ltd. The study will address the gaps identified from the phase I work and use the Singapore-China trading route as the basis.

Project Hafnium: Feasibility Study of Hydrogen as Fuel for PSV Applications

Project Hafnium was started in September 2018 by Swire Pacific Offshore, an offshore marine service provider for the oil & gas industry, to investigate hydrogen as a promising future marine fuel to decarbonise their operations and meet the ambitious targets of the International Maritime Organization for 2030 and 2050. MESD conducted the project's first phase, which concluded in 2019, with a comprehensive assessment of the current status of hydrogen technologies that can be marinised and applied to Platform Supply Vessels (PSV). Since the storage of hydrogen on board is a critical issue for PSVs, the feasibility study investigated several storage solutions, including alternative ways to store hydrogen in chemical carriers like methanol and ammonia, as well as different types of on-board energy converters such as single- and dual-fuel engines and fuel cells. 

GHG Emission from International Shipping: Impacts and Strategies

This project started in 2017, seeking to understand the impact of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction on international shipping and Singapore. For MESD’s scope, the project evaluated and assessed various GHG reduction technologies and the maturity level, focusing on the technical and alternative fuel measures. Industry surveys and interviews with major maritime stakeholders were also carried out to align the latest reviews of available green solutions. In addition, various GHG emission projections for different ship types were calculated based on the bottom-up approach. Finally, the project identified suitable strategies for international shipping and Singapore.

Methanol as Marine Fuel for Singapore Harbour Craft

The project aims to explore methanol as the future alternative fuel for the Singapore harbour craft community. This is to address the national goal to reduce GHG (greenhouse gas) and pollutants emissions, which comprises domestic marine transport. The project's scope includes but is not limited to the study on methanol fuel feasibility, rules and regulations, green methanol supply, provisions and engineering study on methanol retrofitting.