NEA to pilot weekly ferry service for ashes scattering at sea from 2027
The service will operate weekly from Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal.
The National Environment Agency in Singapore will pilot a weekly ferry service for ash scattering at sea from the second half of 2027. (Photo: Facebook/圆梦园礼仪服务 Prestige Funeral Services)
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SINGAPORE: Families will have a new option for scattering the cremated remains of their loved ones at sea under a two-year ferry service pilot that will begin in the second half of 2027.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Monday (Oct 12) that the service will operate weekly from Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal, with multiple groups travelling on the same vessel.
Each application will cost S$50 (US$39).
The pilot is intended to make sea ash scattering more accessible while responding to growing demand for after-death services as Singapore's population ages.
Annual deaths in Singapore are projected to rise from about 26,500 in 2025 to around 40,000 by 2040, NEA said.
About 82 per cent of people who die in Singapore are currently cremated, while ash scattering has become an increasingly popular alternative to keeping cremated remains.
Since inland ash scattering was introduced in 2021, the proportion of cremations involving ashes scattered at designated inland facilities has risen from about 7 per cent in 2022 - the first full year of operation - to about 12 per cent in 2025.
Singapore's second inland ash scattering facility, the Garden of Serenity at Mandai North Crematorium, opened in August 2025.
The booking fee to scatter cremated remains at the two gardens is S$320.
A study on wake spaces conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies at the National University of Singapore also found substantial interest in ash scattering.
About 42 per cent of respondents said they preferred ash scattering, including 27 per cent who favoured scattering ashes at sea and 15 per cent who preferred inland ash scattering.
“These findings reflect sizeable interest in ash scattering as an alternative to storing cremated remains,” NEA said.
Further details of the ferry service, including the location of the pilot sea ash scattering site, booking arrangements and procedures, will be announced before the service begins in 2027.
NEA deputy chief executive officer and director-general of public health Chew Ming Fai said: “As needs and preferences evolve, we are committed to providing more options for people making after-death arrangements for their loved ones.
“This pilot will make the scattering of ashes at sea more accessible, while allowing us to better understand demand and shape the service to meet their needs.”
