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The RSAF has commenced trials for the use of green fuel for its F-16 Fighting Falcons, said defence minister Ng Eng Hen.

Ng spoke about this, and other initiatives during the Committee of Supply debates in Parliament on Mar. 2 as part of an update on major green initiatives by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF).

Solar panels in SAF camps

Ng shared that by the end of this year, "about a quarter" of SAF camps will have solar panels installed.

These solar panels will deliver 20 megawatt-peak (MWp) of electricity, equivalent to the consumption of about 5,000 4-room households, said Ng.

He added that by 2025, two-thirds of camps would have solar panels generating a higher amount of 50 MWp.

Smart metering to track consumption

Smart metering systems will also be installed to track electricity and water consumption automatically, starting with Jurong Camp, Paya Lebar Airbase, and Changi Naval Base.

Over 300 smart meters will be installed as part of a pilot programme, according to a MINDEF Facebook post with more details of the initiatives.

MINDEF said that the pilot programme is expected to be completed by 2023, and will be "rolled out in full scale" to other camps and bases thereafter.

These are among other initiatives that will help MINDEF and SAF meet their emission targets by 2030, said Ng.

The targets are to reduce the growth of overall carbon emissions by two-thirds by 2030, and to halve 2030 emissions by 2050.

Reducing waste in SAF camps

According to MINDEF's Facebook post, an electronic accounting system used to plan cookhouse meals "has reduced food waste to one per cent".

It added that food waste from SAF cookhouses are used to produce biogas for energy generation.

Once the National Environment Agency (NEA)'s Tuas Nexus Plant is completed, all cookhouses will be on board this programme, said MINDEF.

Recycling efforts

There are also "ongoing efforts" to have more recycling bins across MINDEF and SAF, as well as waste disposal contracts for the recycling of scrap metal, electronic and chemical waste, said MINDEF.

You can see MINDEF's post here:

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Top images via RSAF and Ng Eng Hen on Facebook

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