Singapore to Trial Digital Ship Identity Passes

Singapore is set to become a testing ground for the implementation of digital ship identity in maritime operations, including digital port clearance and digital bunkering.

During the ongoing Singapore Maritime Week, the Maritime & Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore announced that it will facilitate the trials of the Marine Vessel Pass (MVP).

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) database, which assigns unique identification numbers to all vessels, is managed by S&P Global Market Intelligence. This entity has collaborated with Bunkerchain for several years to develop the MVP.

Bunkerchain explains on its website, “We envision a unique Digital Pass for all seafaring vessels tied to a ship’s IMO number to enable digital transactions and process automation during port calls. The IMO number is never reassigned to another ship and is shown on the ship’s certificates. It is similar to a citizen’s digital identities tied to a National Registration ID database.”

The MPA highlighted the significance of digital ship identity in a press release, stating, “Digital ship identity plays a crucial role in making electronic transactions more secure, trusted, and efficient in the maritime sector. When deployed in tandem with electronic signatures, these digital technologies will eliminate the need for physical ship stamps and wet ink signatures, and accelerate the transition towards a truly digital, secure, and paperless operations.”