Penguin International’s decarbonisation journey – From Singapore’s first hybrid-electric boats to full-electric ferries.

Captain Kevin Wong, the General Manager of Group Operations and Sustainable Developments at Penguin International, presented the company’s impressive sustainability drive and strong efficiency at SNIC 2022. Penguin International Limited is a Singaporean company that designs, builds, owns, and operates high-speed aluminium craft in and around Southeast Asia. Captain Wong’s presentation offered valuable insights into the company’s commitment to sustainability and its innovative solutions for the future.

-We challenged conventional thinking

In 2016, the Singapore Stock Exchange’s demand for Penguin International’s sustainability report kickstarted their decarbonisation journey. Realising the need to contribute more to sustainable shipping, the company’s first sustainable-focused project was a catamaran ferry called “The Penguin.” The catamaran’s wide deck allowed for the installation of solar panels, generating 20 kilowatts of electricity. With acid batteries powering the lights, air conditioning, and toilet pumps, and no generator usage, emissions were eliminated, saving 150 liters of marine gas oil each night. Remarkably, infrastructure costs were recovered within 18 months, motivating the company to continue developing sustainable solutions.

-We challenged conventional thinking. (…) Being situationally aware, we have understood trends, and this has further allowed us to identify and respond to opportunities, Wong pointed out at the event.

-The circle goes back to designing better boats

-Going green was initially hard, harder than we thought. There were no rule books to tell us what could -or could not- be done. (…) As a designer, builder, owner and operator, we experience that the circle goes back to designing better boats, he further explained.

To learn more about Penguin International’s journey, we invite you to see the recording of Captain Kevin Wong’s presentation here.

See his presentation here!

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As we are gearing up for SNIC 2023 – Innovate to Zero, We will still unpack and share the learnings from SNIC 2022. If you want to be engaged in SNIC 2023 – Innovate to Zero 28 and 29 September and NBAS/Team Norway’s other activities in 2023, please contact us at admin@nbas.org.sg!