The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has announced the launch of digitalPORT@SG, a new digital portal for processing regulatory transactions that will act as a maritime single window system for Singapore.
The system will be developed in two phases, with the first phase allowing users to obtain approval for all arriving and departing ships from three public agencies – MPA, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority and the National Environment Agency – through the portal, consolidating up to 16 separate forms into a single application.
The digitalPORT@SG portal will also be able to exchange data with port community systems such as Portnet and Jurong Port Online to receive relevant information, including declaration on dangerous goods (DG) operations at the port terminals.
This first phase set-up is now being used on a trial basis with more than 10 companies, and will be progressively rolled out to the rest of industry from December 2019, MPA says.
Phase two of the project will see the system enhanced to serve as a single digital shopfront for booking terminal and marine services, facilitating just-in-time (JIT) operations and optimised vessel passage planning within Singapore port. These enhancements are expected to be operational from 2021.
In related news, the MPA has also announced the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with class society DNV GL, mapping out the terms of a three-year R&D collaboration partnership covering maritime decarbonisation and digital transformation.
Projects will include an examination of new business and operation models utilising additive manufacturing for ship spares and blockchain technologies for port and shipping processes, as well as market and technical feasibility research on low and zero carbon ship fuels such as Bio-LNG, battery and battery-hybrid systems.
Other focus areas include autonomous and remote controlled ships, shore-based operation and control centres, and the creation of maritime-related thought leadership forums to foster closer collaboration between the public and private sector.
