In a significant step toward fostering sustainable and innovative maritime practices, Singapore and India signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to collaborate on maritime digitalisation and decarbonisation during the 2025 Singapore Maritime Week. This partnership aims to create a Singapore-India Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC), which will accelerate the development and adoption of zero-emission technologies and digital solutions within the maritime sector.
The LOI was signed by Mr. Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), and Mr. R. Lakshmanan, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MOPSW) of India on March 25th. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Dr. Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State at Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and Ministry of Transport, and Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of India.
Under this agreement, both nations will collaborate on maritime digitalisation and decarbonisation projects, identify key stakeholders, and work toward formalising the partnership through a memorandum of understanding. The partnership is set to leverage both countries’ strengths to transform the maritime industry, ensuring a future where sustainability and digital innovation go hand in hand.
India, a leading player in information technology, has significant potential to become a major producer and exporter of green marine fuels. Singapore, on the other hand, stands as a key global transshipment and bunkering hub, supported by a dynamic research and innovation ecosystem. The collaboration between the two countries presents a unique opportunity to pool expertise, resources, and knowledge to create a cutting-edge shipping corridor that prioritises sustainability and digital transformation.
In another stride towards sustainable fuel production, HyFuel Solar Refinery Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Vast Renewables Limited (Vast), has been awarded AUD 700,000 through the Australia-Singapore Low Emissions Technologies (ASLET) initiative for maritime and port operations. This funding will progress the development of South Australia Solar Fuels (SA Solar Fuels), a world-first sustainable fuels project collaboration between Vast and global energy company Mabanaft.
SA Solar Fuels, previously known as Solar Methanol 1 or SM1, is being developed to meet the rapidly growing demand for sustainable fuels by the maritime and aviation industries, which urgently need pathways to decarbonise fuel to meet net zero targets. The SA Solar Fuels demonstration plant will be capable of producing 7,500 tonnes per annum of green methanol, enough to fuel multiple car ferries for sustainable tourism or short-sea shipping for bulk freight in Australia.
The groundbreaking technology demonstrated by SA Solar Fuels has the potential to produce hydrogen-derived sustainable fuels which can be used to replace fossil fuels in logistical operations, offering a low-carbon alternative to power ships, planes, or other industrial applications. Preliminary front-end engineering and design (pre-FEED) for SA Solar Fuels has been completed by global engineering firms Fichtner and bse Methanol.
ASLET’s support will fund further project optimisation ahead of commencing front-end engineering and design (FEED), which will address technical, infrastructure, regulatory, and commercial readiness elements of the project to ensure the successful adoption of green methanol in maritime operations. Aimed at helping the maritime and port operations industries to accelerate towards a net-zero emissions future while delivering bilateral economic benefits, ASLET is co-delivered by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, and is supported by the Governments of Australia and Singapore.
“We are delighted to receive this backing from ASLET, which recognises the potential of our project to play a significant role in decarbonising global fuel production. We believe SA Solar Fuels offers a scalable solution which can produce green fuels at lower cost than renewable-powered alternatives,” said Vast CEO Craig Wood.
The ASLET funding is the latest boost of support for SA Solar Fuels, following the funding announced in January 2023 that Vast will receive up to AUD $19.48 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), and Mabanaft will receive up to EUR $12.4 million from Projektträger Jülich (PtJ) on behalf of the German government as part of the German-Australian Hydrogen Innovation and Technology Incubator (known as HyGATE).
Located at the Port Augusta Green Energy Hub, SA Solar Fuels will be powered by Vast’s next-generation concentrated solar thermal power technology, which is expected to offer the lowest-cost energy source for green fuel production thanks to its ability to generate continuous heat and power. Calix, Vast’s principal CO2 supply partner on the project, will supply unavoidable industrial CO2 emissions through its co-located world-first carbon capture and utilisation demonstration plant. The CO2 will be synthesised with green hydrogen to create sustainable fuels.
About Vast: Headquartered in Australia, Vast is a renewable energy company developing clean energy solutions that enable 24/7 green, low-cost heat and power to decarbonise the grid, green fuels production for the transport industry, and hard-to-abate industries. Vast’s next-generation CSP v3.0 approach utilises a proprietary, modular sodium loop to efficiently capture and convert the sun’s energy.
