A new $90 million initiative has been unveiled to advance Singapore’s decarbonization goals. It aims to enhance national research in hydrogen utilization and the development of sustainable chemicals and fuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel.
The Create Thematic Programme in Decarbonisation is a significant and ambitious initiative, according to Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, the Permanent Secretary for National Research and Development. Launched on July 22, this program is a key step in positioning Singapore to embrace new, low-carbon energy sources as the nation aims for net-zero emissions by 2050.
Currently, Singapore’s electricity generation is heavily reliant on natural gas. However, Prof Tan explained that the country is diversifying its energy portfolio by importing green electricity from neighboring nations and exploring clean energy alternatives, including hydrogen, geothermal energy, nuclear technology, and carbon capture and utilization.
"The Create programme represents a substantial research endeavor that will help us develop critical solutions in this area," Prof Tan stated during the launch at a symposium held at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
The National Research Foundation (NRF) spearheads this program, which encompasses nine research projects, each lasting between three and five years. These projects will be undertaken by leading investigators from NUS, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and Create partners such as the University of Cambridge and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Collaboration with international experts from institutions like Germany’s Max Planck Institute and Japan’s Tohoku University will also be integral.
The research focuses on four primary domains: hydrogen utilization and combustion technologies; green chemistry for converting biomass to chemicals and biofuels sustainably; synthetic biology to engineer microbes for converting carbon dioxide into chemicals and biofuels; and chemical transformation to develop net-zero pathways for producing key molecules used in pharmaceuticals.
NRF aims to advance Singapore’s capabilities in hydrogen utilization, uncover new insights into zero-carbon fuel combustion behaviors, and develop ammonia-ready fuel cells for power generation.
This initiative aligns with Singapore’s National Hydrogen Strategy, which envisions low-carbon hydrogen contributing up to 50% of the country’s electricity mix by 2050. By 2030, at least four hydrogen-ready power plants operating on a blend of natural gas and hydrogen will be operational.
Decarbonizing the electricity mix, which accounts for about 40% of Singapore’s total emissions, is crucial. Another vital aspect of reaching net zero is transforming Jurong Island, the hub of Singapore’s industrial and chemical sectors, which currently produces around 44% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Sustainable Jurong Island plan aims to quadruple the output of sustainable products from 2019 levels and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over six million tonnes annually through low-carbon solutions.
Additionally, Singapore’s institutes of higher learning are intensifying their research efforts in these critical areas. In April, NTU, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, and ExxonMobil launched a $60 million corporate lab dedicated to advancing research in biofuels, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen technologies.
