The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) today commissioned a new buoy tender vessel “Panduan” that will support MPA in the maintenance of navigational and mooring buoys in Singapore’s waters.
Costing more than S$4.8 million, Panduan was built specifically to meet MPA’s changing operational and future navigational requirements as the port develops. Panduan was designed and built by China-based Ningbo Foreign Trade Co Ltd in consortium with Marine Expert (Zhao Qing) Shipyard Co Ltd in Ningbo, over a period of 14 months.
The vessel is capable of carrying two buoys and has a heavier lifting capacity of 10 tons. The new vessel will also deploy the buoy from its aft through a more stable A-Frame, further enhancing the safety of the vessel and the crew during the buoy maintenance operations.
In addition to having a faster cruising speed of 15 knots, Panduan is also been equipped with fire fighting capabilities to assist as an oil spill dispersant re-supply vessel during marine incidents.
Panduan, which means “guidance” in Malay, will replace the current vessel (also called Panduan) that has been in operational service for the past 17 years.
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Press Release, December 27, 2013