Singapore debuts digitally enabled 'smart' shipyard

The new facility was acquired in February 2023 for US$95M to support the growth of ST Engineering’s marine business and maintain its competitiveness in the ship repair segment. The Gul Yard will replace ST Engineering’s Tuas Yard, whose lease expires at the end of the year. 

At 141,000 m², the Gul Yard is about twice the size of the existing Tuas Yard, and is designed to handle larger, more complex projects with greater precision and efficiency. This enables ST Engineering to offer shorter turnaround times, provide improved support for local naval requirements, and to explore new segments, particularly offshore renewables projects and offshore support vessels for the oil and gas industry in addition to refits, upgrades and support services for customers.

ST Engineering group president and chief executive Vincent Chong said concurrent with the expanded capacity, the Gul Yard will be integrated with the nearby Benoi Yard (also operated by ST Shipping) to create a seamless, unified network that will optimise project co-ordination, resource allocation and capacity management.

The new yard has three floating docks, capable of handling vessels of 12,000 dwt, 40,000 dwt and 70,000 dwt respectively, and 13 open fabrication areas with gantry cranes and mobile shelters.

The Gul Yard is designed around 5G-digital infrastructure to enable the application of AI-powered technologies, with a vast majority of these innovations developed inhouse, such as ST Engineering’s safety and video analytics tool AGIL Vision.

Advanced services include digital twin technology and a proprietary integrated yard management system to oversee operations from planning and resource allocation to track project milestones and predict potential bottlenecks. Features will include predictive maintenance to prevent unplanned downtime by detecting early signs of equipment failure, and condition-based monitoring for real-time tracking of equipment and ships.

ST Engineering said security robots will provide real-time hazard detection and automated safety alerts, while drones will inspect hazardous and hard-to-reach areas.

New worker dormitories, slated for completion by 2025, will also be designed and built to enhance workers’ well-being and comfort.

ST Engineering president, marine, Tan Leong Peng added, “Since acquiring the yard, we had plans to invest about US$60M to develop new infrastructure and acquire new capabilities. There are also plans to have similar digital advancements at our Benoi Yard. With both yards at the cutting edge of technology, we can then leverage their combined strengths to unlock new opportunities locally and globally, contributing to Singapore’s continued growth as a global leader in the maritime industry.”