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SINGAPORE \u2013 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.<\/p>\n
Outlining Singapore\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no single solution for Singapore, there is no silver bullet,\u201d he said, adding that its strategy has to be \u201cmore deliberate, more diversified and more forward-looking than before\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot depend on any single fuel source, supplier or technology. We have to pursue multiple pathways at the same time \u2013 balancing security, affordability and sustainability,\u201d he said at a dinner at Shangri-La Singapore to mark the Energy Market Authority\u2019s (EMA) 25th anniversary.<\/p>\n
On developing low-carbon power sources within Singapore, PM Wong said solar energy is the most obvious option.<\/p>\n
The country has multiplied its solar capacity almost fivefold in the last five years,<\/span><\/a> he noted.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will continue to maximise every available surface \u2013 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,\u201d PM Wong said.<\/p>\n Another option is hydrogen, which can be considered a clean fuel as it does not produce any planet-warming carbon dioxide when burned.<\/p>\n Efforts to tap hydrogen include a pilot project on Jurong Island to test the use of ammonia \u2013 a hydrogen carrier \u2013 for power generation, and having hydrogen-ready combined cycle gas turbines. Such turbines can take in a blend of natural gas and hydrogen, reducing carbon emissions in the process.<\/p>\n But constraints in scaling up hydrogen to generate power remain.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cTo use hydrogen, you first have to produce it. Then you have to liquefy it, convert it into ammonia, ship it across oceans, convert it back again, and finally burn it to generate electricity,\u201d he said, noting that energy is lost at every stage.<\/p>\n \u201cTechnology can help improve parts of the process. But it cannot eliminate these losses altogether. So, this will constrain the role that hydrogen can play in large-scale power generation for some time to come.\u201d<\/p>\n PM Wong said this is why Singapore continues to study other options, including nuclear power.<\/p>\n He announced that the Republic will undergo an assessment by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2027<\/span><\/a> to determine if it is ready to make an informed decision on nuclear energy deployment. He stressed that the move was not a decision to deploy nuclear energy in Singapore.<\/p>\n In the medium term, natural gas will continue to anchor Singapore\u2019s energy mix, PM Wong said.<\/p>\n The country currently relies on natural gas \u2013 a fossil fuel \u2013 for about 95 per cent of its energy needs. It is building a second liquefied natural gas terminal at Jurong Port that will provide the capacity to meet all of its natural gas needs.<\/p>\n