Singapore is set to provide its initial conditional endorsement for plans to import low-carbon electricity in the near future.
Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng on Tuesday (Feb 28) said that more than 20 proposals have been received as a part of the Energy Market Authority’s (EMA) requests for proposals issued in 2021 and 2022. This was reported by Channel News Asia (CNA). During his ministry’s Committee of Supply discussion, Dr. Tan revealed that in the past fortnight, numerous corporations have submitted their final proposals for the significant importation of electricity from diverse nations.
Low carbon energy imports
These are part of Singapore’s plans to import up to 4 gigawatts of low-carbon electricity by 2035. “Projects which received support from the source countries and meet our requirements will receive EMA’s conditional approval,” he told the House. “We expect to grant the first conditional approval soon,” Dr Tan added.
Dr Tan noted that EMA is conducting small-scale trials to prepare for large-scale imports, the report added. Among these are the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project, which commenced in June of last year, and a collaborative pact between YTL PowerSeraya and TNB Genco to export 100 megawatts of electricity from Malaysia to Singapore.
According to the Energy 2050 Committee report, commissioned by industry regulator Energy Market Authority (“EMA”), it is possible for the country’s power sector to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 while still maintaining energy security and affordability. Under the Energy Reset pillar of the Singapore Green Plan 2030, the adoption of low-carbon alternatives such as clean hydrogen will be a key contributor to the energy transition.
Hydrogen can be imported from various sources around the world and help to enhance Singapore’s energy security. It can also be a potential alternative to fossil fuels in the maritime and aviation sectors, said Dr Tan.
Utilizing advanced hydrogen technologies is a crucial aspect of Singapore’s strategy, with a focus on experimentation.
Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) and Maritime and Port Authority have recently issued an expression of interest for ammonia usage in power generation and to meet maritime bunkering needs, which has garnered significant interest from industry players and international partners, according to Dr. Tan.
The government is also aiming to increase its clean energy generation from the sun through the implementation of solar storage systems that store and distribute intermittent solar power at varying intervals to maintain grid reliability.
Based on government statistics, Singapore’s solar power deployment has grown to approximately 800 megawatt-peak as of last year, compared to roughly 500 megawatt-peak in mid-2021.
