ST Engineering Unveils Smart Shipyard, Leverages Technology for Growth in its Marine Business

Singapore, 19 September 2024 – ST Engineering today officially opened its new shipyard located at 55 Gul Road in a ceremony officiated by Mr Desmond Tan, Senior Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office and Deputy Secretary-General, Singapore National Trades Union Congress. The Gul Yard was acquired in February 2023 for $95m to support the growth of the Group’s Marine business and maintain its competitiveness in the ship repair segment. This new facility will replace ST Engineering’s Tuas Yard, whose lease expires at the end of 2024.

Twice the size of its existing Tuas Yard, the Gul Yard is designed to handle larger, more complex projects with enhanced precision and efficiency. Its expanded capacity will shorten turnaround times, provide improved support for local naval requirements, and enable ST Engineering to explore new market segments, including offshore renewables projects, offshore support vessels for the oil and gas industry, as well as refits, upgrades and comprehensive operations and support services for local and international customers. 

Concurrent with the expanded capacity, the Gul Yard and the Benoi Yard will be integrated to create a seamless, unified network that will optimise project coordination, resource allocation, and capacity management. 

The Gul Yard is a next-generation smart yard, equipped with a 5G-digital infrastructure to enable the application of AI-powered technologies for the near term and beyond, with a vast majority of these innovations developed in-house. These advanced solutions include a proprietary integrated yard management system, which will oversee all aspects of the yard’s operations. It streamlines workflow management, from planning and resource allocation to tracking project milestones and predicting potential bottlenecks. It also features 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. 

Said Mr Tan Leong Peng, President, Marine, ST Engineering, “Since the acquisition of the yard, we had plans to invest about $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.”

The application of technology extends from yard operations to ensuring workplace safety to going green. ST Engineering’s safety and video analytics solutions - AGIL Vision and security robots, provide real-time hazard detection and automated safety alerts, while drones are used to inspect hazardous and hard-to-reach areas, further enhancing safety. Additionally, IoT-enabled devices, including smart watches and helmets will provide real-time updates of work progress and monitor workers’ safety. New worker dormitories, slated for completion by 2025, will also be design-and-built to enhance workers’ well-being and comfort.

With the growing emphasis on eco-friendly practices and low-carbon solutions, the Gul Yard will deploy electric-powered AGVs and buggies to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, as well as implement efficient scrap sorting and recycling processes to minimise waste. Gul Yard is also poised to significantly reduce carbon emissions by 2034 through the adoption of renewable energy sources such as ammonia, hydrogen, biofuel, and solar power.

ST Engineering has an established track record in shipbuilding and ship repair, having successfully delivered numerous turnkey solutions for naval and commercial vessels, as well as high engineering content repair and conversion services, leveraging advanced technologies like 3D modelling and digitalisation to enhance operational efficiency and meet complex customer needs.

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Annex: Factsheet of the new shipyard

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