Singapore is pushing further into maritime automation, with the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and PSA Singapore launching an Expression of Interest (EOI) for autonomous vessel operations within the port.
The initiative is aimed at developing and testing autonomous inter-gateway container feeder vessels that would move containers between Pasir Panjang Terminal and the newly developed Tuas Port.
The EOI is intended to evaluate the technological readiness, operational feasibility and safety performance of autonomous vessels in a real port environment.
Plans under the initiative also include a remote operations centre, where vessel sensor data and port traffic information would be brought together to allow real-time oversight and intervention when needed.
Interested parties submitting proposals will be expected to address a broad range of issues, including navigational safety, interaction with conventional crewed vessels, traffic management, system redundancy, cybersecurity, human-machine interfaces, regulatory compliance, and the commercial viability of the concept through a workable business model.
The EOI was one of two autonomous operations initiatives announced by Murali Pillai, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Law and Transport, during the second day of the Singapore Maritime Week 2026 Conference.
Singapore is also examining the use of remote operations in LNG bunkering, with MPA supporting a Joint Industry Project involving DNV, Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).
According to the minister, the two initiatives are intended to explore remote and autonomous technologies, real-time monitoring and remote vessel operations in a way that can help establish new operational frameworks for the maritime sector.
