SINGAPORE – Singapore will pursue multiple paths to ensure its energy security, from diversifying its sources of natural gas to expanding electricity imports and developing low-carbon alternatives, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Outlining Singapore’s energy strategy in a speech on May 19, he noted that the country remains exposed to global supply disruptions as it imports nearly all its energy. Its options to decarbonise are also limited because it has limited renewable resources, he said.
“There is no single solution for Singapore, there is no silver bullet,” he said, adding that its strategy has to be “more deliberate, more diversified and more forward-looking than before”.
“We cannot depend on any single fuel source, supplier or technology. We have to pursue multiple pathways at the same time – balancing security, affordability and sustainability,” he said at a dinner at Shangri-La Singapore to mark the Energy Market Authority’s (EMA) 25th anniversary.
On developing low-carbon power sources within Singapore, PM Wong said solar energy is the most obvious option.
The country has multiplied its solar capacity almost fivefold in the last five years, he noted.
“We will continue to maximise every available surface – rooftops, reservoirs and vacant land. But even if we do so, solar energy can still meet only a limited share of our total power demand,” PM Wong said.
Another option is hydrogen, which can be considered a clean fuel as it does not produce any planet-warming carbon dioxide when burned.
