Future fuels challenges in focus at Singapore’s International Safety@Sea Week
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is organising the 12th edition of the Safety@Sea Week, with this year’s event being the international edition, taking place from 15 to 18 July 2025. Themed ‘The Future of Maritime Safety: Navigating the Next Frontier’, the annual event brings together local and international maritime experts, and the maritime community to promote awareness and facilitate discussions on maritime safety.
Speaking at the opening, Mr Murali Pillai, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Transport, said that the maritime sector is facing increasingly complex global challenges, including heightened geopolitical tensions, climate change, and rapid transformation in digitalisation and decarbonisation. He highlighted that these challenges can be tackled by equipping the maritime workforce for future challenges, harnessing collective expertise through close collaborations and partnerships, and drawing upon technology and innovation to augment capabilities.
In his keynote address, Mr Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the IMO, underscored the need for robust safety frameworks and regulations as the maritime landscape evolves. He cited Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships and new ship designs and systems using sustainable marine fuels as examples of how the maritime sector is transforming and outlined IMO’s priorities in those areas. Mr Dominguez also highlighted the importance of government-industry collaboration and initiatives like the Safety@Sea Singapore Campaign to foster a safety-first culture at sea.
As part of the International Safety@Sea Week, MPA also conducted a multi-agency chemical spill exercise to strengthen Singapore’s operational readiness today. Conducted off Singapore’s southern coast, the exercise involved 11 vessels and over 150 personnel from more than 10 government agencies and industry partners. Mr Murali, Mr Dominguez and the Secretary-General of the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation, Mr Francis Zachariae, observed the exercise.
The exercise simulated a methanol spill from a collision involving a methanol-carrying tanker, triggering a multi-agency response. This included coordinated efforts for spill containment and the evacuation of injured crew. A range of drone-enabled technologies was trialled during the exercise, including 3D imaging to assess vessel damage and a water curtain misting system to limit the spread of chemical plumes. An Uncrewed Surface Vehicle was also deployed to monitor air quality, reducing the need for responders to enter hazardous zones to perform such monitoring. The Maritime Digital Twin and chemical plume modelling tools were used to enhance situational awareness and support decision-making throughout the exercise.