SIEW Opening Remarks By Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister Of State For Trade And Industry, At The Singapore International Energy Week 2017
23 Oct 2017
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Welcome
Good
morning and a very warm welcome to the 10th edition of the Singapore
International Energy Week (SIEW). The theme for SIEW 2017 is “Rethinking
Energy; Navigating Change”. As we celebrate this milestone for SIEW, it is
timely to reflect on our energy journey over the last decade since SIEW began,
and discuss how we can jointly navigate the opportunities and challenges in the
decade ahead.
Rethinking Energy; Navigating Change
2. The
present energy landscape has been shaped by several trends in the past decade.
3. Firstly,
oil prices have become more volatile. In 2008 when SIEW was first held, oil
prices peaked at around 150 US dollars per barrel. However, oil prices have
declined sharply in recent years due to an oversupplied oil and gas market, and
only recently started to recover.
4. At
the same time, the shale gas boom revolutionised global gas markets and brought
about the ‘golden age of gas’, with global Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) volumes
growing more than 50 percent from 2008 to 2016.[1]
5. In
recent years, the drive towards renewable energy has also gained momentum,
especially after the 2011 Fukushima Accident and the entry into force of the
Paris Agreement in 2016. In particular, solar and wind energy capacity have
grown rapidly. For instance, global cumulative solar photovoltaic (PV)
installed capacity grew more than seven-fold from 2010 to 2016, from 40
gigawatt (GW) in 2010 to nearly 300GW in 2016.[2]
6. Today,
greater digitalisation and disruptive technologies are further changing the way
we generate, distribute, store and use energy.
7. Against
this dynamic and fast-changing energy landscape, the Singapore Energy Market
Authority (EMA) has introduced a number of initiatives to improve the economic
competitiveness, security and environmental sustainability of Singapore’s
energy supply. Let me list a few examples here.
8. First,
to diversify our energy supplies, we built an LNG terminal on Jurong Island
that began operations in May 2013. This has enabled us to source for our
natural gas supplies globally, in addition to our Piped Natural Gas (PNG)
supply from Indonesia and Malaysia.
9. Second,
to facilitate greater adoption of renewable energy, we have been working to
facilitate the adoption of solar PVs, which is currently the most viable
renewable energy option for Singapore. Our efforts have contributed to a sharp
growth in solar adoption, to reach around 140 megawatt peak (MWp) in the third
quarter of 2017, up from just 0.4 MWp in 2008.
10. Third,
to build up a strong talent pipeline for the power sector and help our workers
develop the deep skills for future industry needs, EMA has also been actively
working with various stakeholders, such as industry, the Union for Power and
Gas Employees, and educational institutions, on training courses, scholarships,
SkillsFuture Study Awards for the Power Sector, and various outreach
programmes.
11. Going
forward, the global and Asian energy landscape is likely to remain dynamic and
filled with uncertainties. What remains clear is our long-term
goal – to build on our achievements, and develop an energy system that is even
more secure, competitive and sustainable. With that end outcome in mind, we
should be nimble and ready to adapt to changes and new trends. Today, I will
highlight some examples of how Singapore will continue to do this when making
policies, harnessing technologies, and fostering a pro-innovation regulatory
environment.
Open Electricity Market, The Power to
Choose
12. One
of our key energy policy thrusts is the promotion of a competitive market.
Since 2001, we have progressively liberalised our retail electricity market to
encourage greater efficiency and innovation. Our goal is to provide the
remaining 1.4 million accounts, mainly households, with the power to choose an
electricity price plan from different retailers that best meets their
needs. We have called this the “Open Electricity Market” campaign,
and as announced by the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) Mr S Iswaran
last Friday, we will implement a soft launch for consumers in Jurong in April
2018 to gather feedback and fine-tune processes before extending it to the rest
of Singapore in the second half of 2018.
Moving Towards Smart Metering for Multi-Utilities
13. Aside
from promoting competitive markets, we are also investing in technologies to
meet our energy objectives, particularly through the use of info-communications
technology (ICT) to build a smarter grid. This is in line with Singapore’s goal
to be a Smart Nation. Let me highlight three initiatives
through which we are doing this.
14. First, we
are working towards enabling integrated remote metering of electricity, water
and town gas meters to make timely information on utilities consumption
available. I am pleased to share that EMA, PUB and SP Group have
selected four companies, to further develop and test-bed their technical
solutions to remotely read smart meters. A six-month trial will
then be conducted in the second half of 2018 to test these smart metering
solutions in real-life environments.
15. As
part of this effort, SP Group will develop a mobile application to provide
consumers with information on their consumption for all three utilities in a
simple and engaging manner. This will enable consumers to better manage their
consumption and expenditure, while doing their part for the environment.
Building Stronger Solar Forecasting
Capabilities and Test-bedding Energy Storage Systems
16. Second, EMA
continues to explore technological solutions that would better integrate
intermittent generation sources, such as solar, into our grid, to reduce our
carbon footprint.
17. EMA
will be working with the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) and a consortium
led by the National University of Singapore (NUS), to develop a solar
forecasting model customised to Singapore’s tropical weather conditions. This
will help better manage fluctuations in solar output to ensure grid
reliability.
18. EMA
and SP Group also jointly launched a Request for Proposal (RFP) for an Energy
Storage System, or ESS, test-bed last year to evaluate the performance of
different ESS technologies under Singapore’s hot, humid and highly urbanised
operating environment. The RFP drew competitive bids from more than 10
international consortiums from the US, Europe and Asia. Today, I
am pleased to congratulate two consortiums led by our local companies – Red Dot
Power and CW Group – who have won the RFP. Together, they will put in place 4.4
megawatt-hour of grid-storage solutions, in two substation locations.
Insights gained from the test-bed would help develop standards and policies to
facilitate the deployment of large scale ESS in Singapore.
Building Singapore’s First Experimental
Urban Micro-Grid
19. Third,
the Singapore Institute of Technology, or SIT, and SP Group will be signing a
Memorandum of Understanding today to build Singapore’s first experimental urban
micro-grid, which will be housed in SIT’s future campus at
Punggol Digital District.
20. The
micro-grid, which can be connected and disconnected from the grid as required,
will be a national infrastructure that is open to the research community and
businesses in Singapore. This platform will allow new technologies and
solutions to be tested in a controlled environment, while providing power
engineering students the opportunity to work with industry partners and energy
start-ups.
Government Continues to Support Solar
Adoption
21. As
we invest in technological innovations, our regulatory environment will also
need to keep pace with changes and be forward-looking to facilitate the
deployment of new technologies and business models. To that end, EMA continues
to proactively streamline its regulations to ensure that they support business
innovation.
22. For
instance, earlier this year, EMA streamlined the registration
process for consumers generating solar electricity for self-consumption. Businesses
such as Changi Airport Group and SATS Limited will benefit from this new
scheme.
23. EMA
will also be enhancing the existing Central Intermediary Scheme, to make it
easier for solar adopters to receive payments for selling excess solar energy
into the power grid. The final determination paper with more
details on the enhanced scheme will be released today.
Facilitate Industry to Co-create the Future
of Energy
24. While
reviewing and updating rules are important, they take time and sometimes it is
more useful for businesses to have the chance to experiment quickly with
promising innovations. With that in mind, EMA launched a
consultation paper in June this year on a regulatory sandbox framework for the
electricity and gas sectors. The framework allows regulations to be
relaxed, within defined parameters, in a sandbox that can accommodate new
products and services for testing. It will also allow EMA to assess the impact
of new products and services before deciding on the wider regulatory
treatment.
25. Based
on the useful feedback received, EMA has finalised the framework and it will be
implemented from today. We welcome businesses to use the framework and
co-create the future of energy with us. There is already some interest from the
industry with potential projects during the consultation phase, and we look
forward to developing them into trials within the regulatory sandbox framework.
Singapore-IEA Regional Training Hub and
Launch of Training Activity for 2018
26. Looking
beyond our borders, international cooperation remains key to meeting
challenges that are global in nature – from enhancing security to combating
climate change. Singapore has been active in fostering greater cooperation
among countries and international organisations.
27. For
instance, Minister Iswaran announced at SIEW last year that Singapore has
become an Association Country to the International Energy Agency, or IEA. A key
initiative from our collaboration is the Singapore-IEA Forum, which will be
held for the first time tomorrow. The focus is on energy
investments in Asia, a topic of keen interest to the region. To set the stage
for the discussions, the IEA will be launching the 3rd edition of the IEA
Southeast Asia Energy Outlook.
28. Looking
ahead to 2018, I am pleased to announce that Singapore will work with the IEA
to host a training programme focused on energy investments, as a follow-up to
the discussions at the Singapore-IEA Forum.
Singapore’s Chairmanship of the 36th ASEAN
Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) in 2018
29. Next
year, Singapore will chair the 36th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM),
which will be held together with SIEW in October 2018.
30. This
will give ASEAN more opportunities to strengthen its engagement with global
energy players, to work together to provide energy solutions for the region.
31. I
am happy to note that there has been good progress under the ASEAN Plan of
Action on Energy Cooperation (APAEC), and Singapore looks forward to working
with our ASEAN neighbours, Dialogue Partners and International Organisations on
further initiatives to foster a resilient and sustainable energy community for
the region.
Singapore Energy Award 2017 Winners
32. All
the efforts described so far would not have been possible without the
dedication and hard work of our people and organisations in the energy sector,
which have contributed to making our energy system better over the years. The
Singapore Energy Award, or SEA, recognises individuals and organisations across
the public and private sectors for their significant contributions to
Singapore’s energy sector, in areas such as leadership, innovation and
capabilities development.
33. This
year, I am pleased to announce two winners – Mr Tang Kin Fei, former Group
President and CEO of Sembcorp Industries, and Professor Ng Wun Jern, a
professor in Nanyang Technological University’s School of Civil and
Environmental Engineering and former Executive Director at the Nanyang
Environment & Water Research Institute, or NEWRI. Both individuals stood
out for their strong and sustained contributions to the local energy sector and
wider society.
34. Mr
Tang will be conferred the Singapore Energy Award for Contributions to the
Energy Sector, for his visionary and exemplary leadership of Sembcorp’s power
and utilities business, as well as having the foresight to push for new
technologies and developing manpower for the local energy sector. Under Mr
Tang’s leadership, Sembcorp has contributed to the larger sector by opening up
their co-gen plant for learning journeys for students, and sponsored an energy
competition that has reached more than 400 students over the last 3 years.
They have also opened up their facilities for R&D and test-bedding.
35. Professor
Ng will receive the Singapore Energy Award for Innovation, for his pioneering
efforts in the waste-to-energy sphere, as well as the pivotal role he played in
translating research into real applications during his 10-year tenure as
NEWRI’s Executive Director.
36. Once
again, congratulations to the award winners.
Conclusion
37. In
conclusion, building a competitive, secure, and sustainable energy supply
remains a key priority for Singapore. To this end, we will continue to position
ourselves as a hub for innovations and business opportunities, deepen our
collaboration with global energy players, as well as empower and inspire our
consumers to better manage their energy use. We must also continue to embrace
new technologies, encourage innovation and catalyse capability building.
38. I
hope that throughout this week, you will benefit from the active exchanges of
views with various energy professionals, policy-makers and industry players,
learn from each other’s experiences and generate solutions to forge a
sustainable energy future.
39. Thank
you once again for joining us at SIEW. I wish you a fruitful week ahead.
[1] Global LNG volumes grew from
around 170 million tonnes in 2008 to 258 million tonnes in 2016. (Source: 2017
World LNG Report, International Gas Union (IGU))
[2] Source: Rethinking Energy
2017: Accelerating the Global Energy Transformation, International Renewable
Energy Agency (IRENA)
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