Singapore to further study geothermal energy potential for power generation, says minister

Exploratory studies at a site near Sembawang Hot Spring, led by NTU Associate Professor Alessandro Romagnoli in 2023, found that temperature at the site could go up to 200 deg C at a 4km to 5km depth, making geothermal energy a real possibility as a clean energy source. — PK Travel pic via AsiaOne

First Published: Monday, 26 Oct 2026 2:05 PM MYT

SINGAPORE, Oct 26 — Singapore will further its assessment on the feasibility of harnessing geothermal energy for power generation, cooling, and heating, said Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Dr Tan See Leng.

Announcing this at the Singapore Energy Lecture at the Singapore International Energy Week 2026 (SIEW) on Monday (Oct 26), Dr Tan pointed to the positive preliminary findings from a non-invasive geophysical survey last year.

The survey found that Singapore has high-temperature geothermal resources at depths of several kilometres underground, which may be suitable for electricity generation.

Its technical potential of geothermal energy for power generation is more than 60 times of the country’s annual electricity consumption of around 60 terawatt-hours (TWh).

In a media release issued after the lecture, the Energy Market Authority of Singapore (EMA) said the survey assessed that there are lower-temperature geothermal resources at shallower depths.

This could potentially support industrial heating and cooling using heat pumps and absorption chillers, it added. 

However, the feasibility study of deploying next-generation geothermal power plants in Singapore is not a straightforward one, the energy and industry minister highlighted.

“Our geothermal resources are located several kilometres underground, the amount of electricity we can eventually generate will depend on the cost and technical feasibility of extracting these resources, as well as the pace of advances in deep drilling technology,” he said.

Dr Tan added that Singapore’s dense urban environment will also affect how many geothermal power plants it can feasibly deploy.

In addition, safety has to be the top-of-mind consideration for energy planners, the minister cautioned.

Now, following a request for proposal launched in April this year, EMA has appointed a consortium formed by Surbana Jurong and Canadian energy consulting group GLJ to conduct the next-phase of this feasibility study.

The study, expected to take about 15 months from the end of 2026, will cover safety considerations, technical viability, and the cost of geothermal energy production.

EMA chief executive Puah Kok Keong highlighted that geothermal energy is an indigenous source of clean energy that can provide constant power, and can potentially play an important role in the country’s energy mix.

“If proven to be viable for electricity generation, Singapore’s geothermal energy resources will strengthen our energy resilience and support the decarbonisation of the power sector,” he said.

EMA added that any decision to deploy geothermal will also be taken after further technical and feasibility studies are completed and will depend on the progress of technologies for deep geothermal energy.

The move is the latest in a series of energy-related announcements made at SIEW.

In his energy lecture, Dr Tan emphasised that energy is existential for Singapore.

“We must ensure that our system resilience continues to be a source of confidence for our people,” he said. — AsiaOne