Low-carbon hydrogen could supply Singapore’s energy needs by 2050
Low-carbon hydrogen could supply up to half of Singapore’s power needs by 2050, and play a key role in helping the Republic achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century.
Hydrogen can be used as a low-carbon fuel or feedstock, releasing little to no greenhouse gas when burned.
When produced through the electrolysis of water using renewable energy, hydrogen could have close to zero emissions.
Delivering the Singapore Energy Lecture at the start of the Singapore International Energy Week on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that low-carbon hydrogen is being seen as an increasingly promising solution.
“While the technology and supply chains are still nascent, momentum has picked up substantially in recent years.
Global investment in low-carbon hydrogen has increased exponentially, backed by policies from countries around the world to accelerate its production and usage,” Wong said.
There is now a growing pipeline of production projects worldwide, and key technologies being trialled are expected to become commercially available in the coming years, he noted.
As a result, these developments have given the authorities confidence that low-carbon hydrogen can be the “next frontier” in domestic efforts to reduce Singapore’s emissions, alongside other renewable energy sources domestically, such as solar power, and electricity imports.
This comes as Singapore has raised its climate ambition, committing to net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government said on Tuesday.
Singapore’s greenhouse gas emissions will also reach 60 million tonnes by 2030 after peaking earlier this decade. Emissions were previously forecast to peak at around 65 million tonnes by 2030.
The power sector accounts for about 40 percent of Singapore’s emissions.
While a report released by the Energy Market Authority in March had low-carbon hydrogen as a potential solution to helping Singapore achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
This would require strong global cooperation, and for energy and digital technologies to develop rapidly enough.
With land constraints and limited resources, the bulk of low-carbon hydrogen would likely have to come from imports.
Wong noted that low-carbon hydrogen could also decarbonize sectors that cannot be easily electrified, for instance, hydrogen could be used as a feedstock in semiconductor plants and petrochemical processes.
“Besides lowering emissions, it also allows companies to produce sustainable products that could fetch a green premium,” he added.
In addition, hydrogen could also be used to produce low-carbon fuels in the maritime and aviation sectors.
To prepare for the deployment of hydrogen domestically and to build a hydrogen supply chain in Asia, Singapore will experiment with advanced hydrogen technologies that could soon be commercially ready.
In this regard, an expression of interest for a small-scale commercial project using low-carbon ammonia for power generation will be launched.
“With this, Singaporeans may start to have access to electricity generated from low-carbon hydrogen from 2027. Through this project, we also hope to catalyze the development of ammonia supply chains for marine bunkering needs,” said Wong.
The ministry will continue to monitor the “readiness and industry uptake” of other hydrogen transportation methods, and assess the relevance to Singapore’s projects and, where appropriate, launch projects to experiment with these methods.