With natural gas powering around 95% of our electricity supply, Singapore initially depended on importing piped natural gas from Indonesia and Malaysia for power generation. Since 2013, we have diversified our natural gas sources by importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from around the world via the LNG Terminal on Jurong Island.

Looking ahead, there are plans to establish a second LNG Terminal by end of the decade to further enhance Singapore’s energy security. If you are wondering why Singapore continues to rely on natural gas for power generation, it is because unlike intermittent renewable sources like solar, this fuel source provides the energy reliability and security that we have come to enjoy.

The significance of energy security for Singapore cannot be overstated, especially in light of recent global events. During the global energy crunch of 2021 and 2022, the world witnessed sharp rises in global gas prices due to heightened demand and tight supply. The Russia-Ukraine conflict which started in 2022 exacerbated concerns about potential disruptions to gas supplies.

To safeguard Singapore’s energy security and resilience, several measures were implemented. One such measure was the establishment of the Standby LNG Facility which power generation companies could draw from to generate electricity if their natural gas supplies were disrupted.

Another significant development for EMA in recent years is the Singapore Energy Story, which was unveiled in 2019. With climate change posing an existential threat and our power sector contributing around 40% of the country’s carbon emissions, it is crucial that we transition to cleaner energy sources and achieve Singapore’s net-zero emissions target by 2050. This transition stands as one of our greatest challenges. With limited renewable energy options, Singapore imports almost of its energy supply. Our focus, therefore, has centred on the Four Switches – solar energy, regional power grids, low-carbon alternatives and natural gas – to navigate towards a more sustainable energy future.

We are making efforts to maximise solar adoption even though our small land mass poses limitations in tapping on solar energy to fully meet our energy needs. To better support solar adoption and enhance power grid resilience, we saw the launch of Southeast Asia’s largest energy storage system on Jurong Island in 2023.

With abundant renewable energy sources in the region, we are increasingly turning to low-carbon electricity supply by connecting to regional power grids. In 2022, Singapore commenced its import of 100 megawatts of hydropower from Lao PDR as part of the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power-Integration-Project (LTMS-PIP). Collaborating closely with various partners, we remain steadfast in our pursuit to diversify our sources of low-carbon electricity imports.

The distance between Laos and Singapore spans over 2,000km, which is more than the length of 18,000 football fields!

As we navigate towards a cleaner energy future, emerging low-carbon technologies are in our sight as well. Hydrogen, for example, shows potential in decarbonising our power sector as it does not emit carbon dioxide when used as a fuel for power generation.

Unveiled at the Singapore International Energy Week in 2022, our national hydrogen strategy outlines the path forward in harnessing this potential. Geothermal energy has also emerged as another renewable source of interest. If proven to be viable, it could play a part in diversifying and decarbonising Singapore’s energy system.

As our population and economy continue to grow, so does our demand for energy. But it cannot be a matter of simply getting more supply to meet demand. In fact, we have to manage how we use energy more efficiently such as through demand-side management initiatives. EMA launched a regulatory sandbox in 2022 to promote energy demand management. Through the Demand Response Programme for example, participating businesses do their part to manage or shift their energy consumption to off-peak periods when activated and receive payments in return as a form of incentive. This helps to avoid straining the power system in meeting peak demand.

Exciting times are ahead of us as we transition towards a clean energy future for Singapore. With each passing anniversary, we look forward to celebrating more milestones as we push on to power Singapore with greener energy sources.

Find out more about our energy transition efforts here.