Staff Reporter
Published:
Photo by Kostiantyn Li via Unsplash
This covers owners with vessels first licensed from October this year to end-2028.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will offer grants of up to $250,000 per fully electric harbour craft (e-HC) from 1 January 2027 to accelerate adoption and support the development of a competitive electric vessel ecosystem.
Under the Early Adopter Scheme for Electric Harbour Craft (EASE), eligible vessels must be fully electric and have first obtained their harbour craft licence between 14 October 2026 and 31 December 2028.
The scheme applies to all vessel types operating in Singapore that meet relevant licensing requirements. Grants will be disbursed to e-HC owners in three tranches over two years from the date of award.
The grant will be based on installed propulsion battery capacity, at $250 per kilowatt-hour, and capped at $150,000 for small craft and $250,000 for large craft.
Small craft include passenger vessels carrying up to 12 people or cargo vessels with a carrying capacity of 20 tonnes or less. All other harbour craft licence categories fall under large craft.
Valid for two years, EASE aims to spur early demand and give manufacturers and technology providers greater confidence to invest in production and expand capacity.
MPA expects e-HC costs to decrease as production volumes increase and technologies mature, improving their commercial viability.
“To support the deployment and operation of e-HC, MPA will progressively expand the charging infrastructure in tandem with industry adoption,” the authority said.
Following the first pilot charger at Marina South Pier in 2024, a second charger will be rolled out in the coming months, alongside four additional chargers at Loyang Offshore Supply Base.
More public chargers are planned along Singapore’s southern coastline, including at Jurong Port and West Coast Pier in 2027.
MPA will also study power-capacity upgrades at key terminals to support further charger deployment as demand grows.
MPA is studying flexible charging solutions, including battery-based and mobile charging concepts, to improve operational resilience as the market matures.
It will also consider additional regulatory measures to drive the harbour craft sector’s transition away from fossil fuels.
Singapore has more than 1,600 harbour craft, predominantly diesel-powered vessels providing marine services such as passenger transport, towage, bunkering, and maintenance.
The sector is expected to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. From 2030, all new harbour craft operating in Singapore must be fully electric, capable of using B100 biofuel, or compatible with net-zero fuels.
“As harbour craft typically remain in service for more than 20 years, fleet renewal decisions over the coming years will be critical to achieving the sector’s net-zero transition,” MPA said.
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