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Accelerating the Adoption of Digital Twins on Vessels in Service
Main TrackGreener IndustriesCOFCO International
Up to S$50,000 in POC / pilot fundingUp to S$50,000 POC Development Grant
With 12,000+ people in 36 countries,
With 12,000+ people in 36 countries, COFCO International is the overseas agriculture business platform for COFCO Corporation, China's largest food and agriculture company. They buy, sell, process and distribute agricultural commodities to help meet the rising global demand for food, particularly in Asia, with assets across six continents and a commitment to sustainable growth.
COFCO International operates a global shipping fleet of 200 vessels to transport agricultural commodities. Freight operations are the company’s largest source of Scope 1 and 2 emissions. The company has committed to science-based targets validated by leading corporate target setting framework Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and seeks practical ways to accelerate shipping decarbonisation in order to meet these targets.
The maritime freight industry has adopted a net-zero by 20250 target under the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). However, pathways such as switching to green fuels or building new vessels require high capital expenditure, are unproven at scale, and are constrained by limited fuel and infrastructure availability.
Near-term, the most viable lever is energy efficiency. Digital twins of vessels are virtual copies of physical vessels that provide real-time operational tracking, predictive maintenance, and performance modelling. They also enable ship operators to calculate and verify the return on investment from specific Energy Saving Devices (ESD) for their fleet and voyages, which strengthens the business case for investment in ESDs.
There are many different types of digital twins being developed for maritime vessels. They often require installation of new sensors when the vessel is at dry dock, which is usually only every five years when there is scheduled heavy maintenance. Therefore, despite the promise of digital twins, the significant costs incurred as a result of downtime during installation in dry dock hampers the uptake of this promising technology across the sector. COFCO International is seeking solutions that enable digital twin development while the vessel is in service, thus avoiding the time delays and costs associated with dry-dock installation.
How might we develop and install digital twins on vessels when they are in service to accelerate their adoption?
Requirements
Technical Requirements:
- Develop a mechanism(s) allowing digital twin development while the vessel is in operation, opening a greater time-window when installation, or at least part-installation, can be completed (i.e. not only when the vessel is in dry dock).
- Prioritise mechanisms for installation on common Japanese and Chinese designs built between 2005 and 2015, representing a large share of COFCO’s fleet - for example, widely-used bulk carrier types, such as Handysize, Supramax, and Panamax.
- Prioritise ability to build reliable models based only on high frequency data of one vessel per class/design with ability to adjust the model to similar vessels using lower frequency data, for example, noon reports.
- Focus on installation of digital twins that:
- Enable real-time monitoring of vessel operations during live voyages.
- Provide continuous insights for energy optimisation, performance monitoring, and predictive maintenance.
- Support scenario modelling to estimate fuel, GHG, and cost savings for different Energy Saving Devices.
- Include ROI calculation tools for ESD investments.
- Support compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Ideally compatible with the Maritime Digital Twin of Port of Singapore. Click here for more points of consideration.
Performance Requirements:
- Maximise development and installation of digital twin while vessel still in service, thus minimising costs/lost revenue associated with digital twin installation.
- Digital twins able to be installed with the solution(s) will reduce fuel consumption and GHG emissions in line with IMO pathways, and provide long-term lifecycle sustainability (energy, emissions, and cost)
Financial Considerations:
- Deliver measurable fuel savings of 5 to 15% annually.
- Achieve a payback period of 3 to 5 years (consistent with industry standards), though a shorter period is preferred.
- Stay cost-effective, with typical development costs ranging from US$20,000 to 100,000.
Who Should Apply:
- Companies with an established track record in the area, meaning they have provided services - ideally digital twin development but if not other adjacent services such as performance monitoring - to at least 100 ships over the past 3 years, or similar level of experience
Potential Sustainability Impact:
- GHG reductions proportional to 5 to 15% fuel efficiency gains per vessel
- Acceleration of adoption of digital twins across COFCO’s 200-vessel fleet
- A replicable model for global shipping, supporting IMO decarbonisation goals
POC / Pilot & Incentives
Expected POC / Pilot & Timeline:
- May-December 2026: POC / pilot: Demonstrate the solution provided meeting the above mentioned criteria.
- January-December 2027: Rollout: Extend capabilities to scenario generation (fuel, GHG, and cost savings for ESDs), and deliver ROI validation for retrofits.
POC / Pilot Funding:
- COFCO will provide milestone-based POC / pilot funding of up to S$50,000.
- Enterprise Singapore is augmenting this support with a POC development grant of up to S$50,000 for eligible startups / SMEs. Foreign startups / SMEs may be considered if developmental activities are based in Singapore and only if a Singapore office is incorporated. The POC Development grant could also be awarded to startups / SMEs incorporated in Singapore for projects with overseas pilot deployment potential.
POC / Pilot Support:
- Access to operational data and vessel environments
- In-kind contributions such as facilities, staff time, and expertise
Further Opportunities:
- A digital twin solution proven on a single vessel could be extended across COFCO’s entire 200-vessel fleet, creating significant emissions and efficiency gains at scale.
- A successful solution could also be adopted by other global shipping companies, making it relevant far beyond COFCO’s operations and accelerating decarbonisation across the industry.
Info Session
Check out the recording from our Info Session, where Lidl & Kaufland Asia shared more about their challenge statement.
RESOURCES
Info Session Recording
Revisit the detailed presentation on this challenge statement from our virtual Info Session.
Next Steps
Still have questions?
- Write to us at info@padang.co with any questions.
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