One type of low-carbon alternative technology that the Singapore government has been monitoring is nuclear energy, Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said on Oct. 23, at the Singapore International Energy Week 2023.

Over 10 years ago, the government conducted a pre-feasibility study on nuclear energy which concluded that nuclear energy technologies available then were not suitable for deployment in Singapore, he highlighted.

In addition, there has been no decision by Singapore to deploy nuclear energy.

Singapore has been engaging the IAEA, studying nuclear technologies and safety

However, the government is building up expertise to understand advanced nuclear technologies and their suitability for Singapore.

It has also been growing Singapore's capabilities in nuclear safety, as well as in emergency preparedness and response.

The government has also been engaging the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to "learn from the world’s best."

According to Gan, Singapore needs to build its capabilities to understand advanced nuclear energy technologies which are becoming safer and have the potential to be cost competitive, so that the government can study these options seriously when the newer technologies become viable.

Singapore is looking at Small Modular Reactors

As for specific nuclear technologies being studied, Gan pointed to Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as one such technology that shows promise in being safer than conventional large-scale reactors.

"For example, some SMRs are designed to cool safely and passively without requiring external systems or operator actions during emergencies," Gan said.

Singapore will also deepen its collaboration with countries that have capabilities in SMR technology to strengthen its understanding.

The minister noted that there has been growing interest in nuclear energy from countries in the region.

Singapore is also looking at hydrogen

Apart from nuclear energy, hydrogen is also another low-carbon alternative that Singapore is studying.

According to Gan, global investments in hydrogen have continued to increase, backed by government policies in many countries to accelerate its production and use.

In particular, amongst the various carriers of hydrogen energy, ammonia is more technologically ready with an established supply chain.

"It also has the potential to be used directly as fuel for power generation and maritime shipping," the minister added.

Currently, the government has shortlisted six consortiums to participate in a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a project to test and deploy ammonia as a fuel.

Gan highlighted that 26 companies, both local and foreign, had participated in the initial Expression of Interest (EOI) for the project

The government is searching for a company to develop an end-to-end ammonia solution

Based on the RFP, the government will identify a lead developer to jointly develop the project.

According to a joint press release by the EMA and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), this project will entail the development of an end-to-end ammonia solution which comprises of:

• Generating 55 – 65 megawatss of electricity from imported low- or zero-carbon ammonia via direct combustion in either a gas turbine or combined cycle gas Turbine, and
• Facilitating ammonia bunkering at a capacity of at least 0.1 million tons per annum (MTPA), starting with shore-to-ship bunkering followed by ship-to-ship bunkering.

Gan described the project as "an important milestone" for Singapore in its search for viable decarbonisation routes.

"The learnings from this project will also contribute to the global climate effort," he added.

The RFP will be launched before the end of 2023.

Top photo by Lukáš Lehotský via Unsplash