A Pulau Tekong site 40% the size of Sentosa could become an energy hub, EMA to study feasibility

SINGAPORE: A 200ha site on reclaimed land at Pulau Tekong – about 40 per cent the size of Sentosa or Toa Payoh – is being studied for a possible energy infrastructure cluster. 

This could potentially house hydrogen-ready natural gas-fired power plants, liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and other low-carbon energy technologies.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) said on Tuesday (Oct 6) that it had published a tender a day earlier to appoint a consultant for a feasibility study, who will develop a proposed master plan for the cluster.

The selected consultant is expected to be appointed by mid-2027, and the study is estimated to take about two years.

During his National Day Rally speech in August, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that roughly 500ha of land on Pulau Tekong would remain available for future civilian uses after the Singapore Armed Forces' needs are met.  

He said the 500ha area was around the size of Toa Payoh town, although no decision had been made on how the land would be used. 

EMA said that the latest study is part of the government's efforts to assess potential land uses on Pulau Tekong while strengthening Singapore's energy security and supporting its energy transition.

In April, EMA launched a tender for up to three new hydrogen-ready natural gas-fired power plants to help meet rising electricity demand. One unit is due to be ready in 2031, with up to two more in 2032.

Each generating unit is expected to provide at least 600 megawatts (MW) of capacity. The Economic Development Board said that 600MW is enough to power more than 864,000 four-room flats for a year.

Singapore's electricity demand is expected to continue growing as the economy expands, with energy-intensive sectors such as semiconductor manufacturing and data centres among the drivers.

Based on EMA's projections, Singapore's power system peak demand is expected to grow by between 2.4 per cent and 4.8 per cent annually over the next 10 years. 

By 2031, peak demand is forecast to reach between 9.6 gigawatts (GW) and 11.4GW.

EMA's chief executive officer Puah Kok Keong said: "Energy is a critical resource to support Singapore's continued development and growth.

"It is vital that we plan for our future energy infrastructure needs. If it materialises, the energy infrastructure cluster on Pulau Tekong will play an important role (in meeting) Singapore's growing energy needs."

Singapore has also been laying the groundwork for the adoption of hydrogen as a lower-carbon fuel, including studying the infrastructure, regulations and safety standards needed for its use in the power sector. 

EMA has said that hydrogen could meet up to half of Singapore's projected electricity demand by 2050, depending on technological developments and other energy sources.

The country is also studying nuclear energy as another potential source of low-carbon power.