K
Kathleen Martin
Guest
At least three companies are now being paid to use their unmanned drones to deliver small items like cash, 3D-printed shipping parts and fuel samples from Marina South to ships out at sea.
As at March, British outfit Skyports, home-grown technology giant ST Engineering and local start-up F-drones have received approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to begin recurring commercial trials out of the Maritime Drone Estate.
The designated pace near Marina South Pier was set up last year for maritime drone fliers to test their wares.
Industry players said these trials will give them a chance to demonstrate that such a mode of delivery is viable. The trials will also give them leverage to ask the authorities for more permanent and expansive infrastructure along the Greater Southern Waterfront, which is crucial for such deliveries to be properly scaled up.
"There is a massive market for this," said Mr Sanjay Suresh, Skyports' Asia-Pacific head of business development and operations. "The majority of ships that come to Singapore come into the anchorages, which are specific parking spots within our waters and they do their transactions there (rather than at our ports).
"The traditional means is to have a small launch boat that goes out for either crew change or for exchange of supplies. Drones minimise the time that (the supply transaction) takes."
Skyports began commercial trials in January, flying 14 return trips every week. It said such deliveries are already profitable for the company, and wants them to be fully commercialised by the end of the year.
ST Engineering is beginning a nine-month trial with Skyports and Japanese trading company Sumitomo two months from now, likely delivering goods up to 10kg over a 10km range, said Mr Teong Soo Soon, head of ST Engineering's unmanned air systems business unit.
Continue reading: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/three-companies-in-commercial-trials-to-deliver-goods-to-ships-using-drones
As at March, British outfit Skyports, home-grown technology giant ST Engineering and local start-up F-drones have received approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to begin recurring commercial trials out of the Maritime Drone Estate.
The designated pace near Marina South Pier was set up last year for maritime drone fliers to test their wares.
Industry players said these trials will give them a chance to demonstrate that such a mode of delivery is viable. The trials will also give them leverage to ask the authorities for more permanent and expansive infrastructure along the Greater Southern Waterfront, which is crucial for such deliveries to be properly scaled up.
"There is a massive market for this," said Mr Sanjay Suresh, Skyports' Asia-Pacific head of business development and operations. "The majority of ships that come to Singapore come into the anchorages, which are specific parking spots within our waters and they do their transactions there (rather than at our ports).
"The traditional means is to have a small launch boat that goes out for either crew change or for exchange of supplies. Drones minimise the time that (the supply transaction) takes."
Skyports began commercial trials in January, flying 14 return trips every week. It said such deliveries are already profitable for the company, and wants them to be fully commercialised by the end of the year.
ST Engineering is beginning a nine-month trial with Skyports and Japanese trading company Sumitomo two months from now, likely delivering goods up to 10kg over a 10km range, said Mr Teong Soo Soon, head of ST Engineering's unmanned air systems business unit.
Continue reading: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/three-companies-in-commercial-trials-to-deliver-goods-to-ships-using-drones
