Singapore to launch S$143m industrial decarbonisation programme — Channel NewsAsia
Singapore will launch a S$143 million industrial decarbonisation funding initiative, or about US$112 million. The programme is intended to support the development of technologies to address key challenges in reducing emissions in the industrial sector, Channel NewsAsia reports.
Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong announced the initiative at the Singapore Industrial Decarbonisation Forum. According to him, manufacturing accounts for about 20% of the country’s GDP and employs one-eighth of its workforce. Industry, including the electricity it consumes, accounts for about 65% of Singapore’s emissions.
Research involving businesses
Up to S$100 million under the new initiative will be directed to the DRIVE programme — Decarbonisation Research for Industry, Ventures, and Enterprise. Companies will be able to define the decarbonisation challenges that need to be addressed themselves, while the programme will co-fund research and development with businesses. Applications to participate in DRIVE opened on October 23.
The initiative is part of the S$800 million Decarbonisation Grand Challenge programme. It provides support for promising technologies from the research and development stage through scaling up and demonstration. Gan Kim Yong noted that limited land area and renewable energy resources, as well as complex manufacturing processes, make decarbonisation more difficult in the country.
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Technology testing and biomethane
Five projects previously supported by the Low-Carbon Energy Research programme will receive further funding under a S$65 million grant call. The funds are intended to scale up technologies and test them in real industrial conditions.
Construction is underway on Jurong Island for the S$62 million Low-Carbon Technology Translational Testbed. Its first industrial users are expected to be IHI Corporation, Amogy and Metha8. IHI will work on converting carbon dioxide into sustainable aviation fuel, Amogy on producing hydrogen from ammonia, and Metha8 on an integrated methanol-based power generation system.
In addition, the authorities have approved Keppel Energy, Sembcorp Utilities and Tuas Power Generation as aggregators for importing and supplying biomethane. This renewable gas is produced from organic waste; it can be used as a low-carbon alternative to natural gas in existing gas infrastructure. According to Gan Kim Yong, a regulatory sandbox for biomethane is expected to facilitate the development of capacity of up to 300 MW from 2028.
