EDB issues grant call for monitoring technologies for biomass projects

[SINGAPORE] The Economic Development Board (EDB) announced a grant call on Thursday (Jan 15) to develop upstream research and monitoring technologies for biomass projects. 

The grant, which will be administered by EDB’s Office for Space Technology and Industry (Ostin), is designed to be a collaborative funding mechanism for both academic and industry players to develop digital measurement, reporting and verification technologies that can be deployed practically. 

It is targeting universities and research institutes that have expertise in Earth observation technologies, artificial intelligence and machine learning modelling, as well as carbon science to be lead applicants. They would be responsible for addressing the technical challenges of estimating biomass in ecosystems in South-east Asia. 

Industry players, including technology companies, carbon project developers, satellite operators, Earth observation data providers, carbon rating entities and environmental consulting firms, can apply as co-applicants on the condition that they partner the local universities and research institutes. 

They have to contribute a minimum of 30 per cent of the co-funding and work closely with the academics on implementation and adoption pathways, which includes ensuring the economic viability, practicality and scalability of the proposed solutions. 

EDB is also encouraging carbon credit registries, validation and verification bodies, as well as research institutions from countries that have inked the carbon credit transfer agreement with Singapore to participate as collaborators. 

The amount of grant that each project gets will be dependent on its scope. Awarded projects will have to be completed between 18 and 36 months, and demonstrate a clear pathway for commercial deployment between three and five years after project completion, said Dr Lim Yuan Liang, Ostin’s director, at the launch event on Thursday. 

Biomass refers to organic materials from both land and sea ecosystems that are able to sequester and store carbon, and therefore require accurate measurement for carbon stock calculations and the generation and verification of carbon credits. 

The grant call aims to improve carbon credit integrity and transparency through the development of satellite, geospatial and digital technologies that improve how biomass is measured, monitored and verified across diverse ecosystems, including forests and coastal environments. 

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It also seeks to promote ecosystem collaboration and commercial viability, as well as build remote sensing capabilities in South-east Asia. 

“By advancing and developing more accurate, transparent and scalable approaches to carbon measurement, the grant call aims to enhance the integrity of carbon credits while building capabilities and commercial solutions that can be applied across South-east Asia and regions within the Equatorial belt,” said the joint press release from EDB and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Singapore. 

Having accurate measurements of carbon credits generated from such projects are important for Singapore’s nationwide net-zero by 2050 target, as the city-state is reliant on securing high-integrity carbon credits to offset its emissions. 

Traditional monitoring processes often rely on labour-intensive ground surveys that are costly, time-consuming, and limited in spatial and temporal coverage. This creates challenges in ensuring the integrity of carbon credits, particularly for nature-based solutions across South-east Asia’s diverse ecosystems, read the press release. 

EDB will close the application for this grant by the end of February, and shortlisted applicants will be notified by the end of April. Applicants that have been awarded the grant are expected to commence their project by September after being notified by the end of July. 

Blue carbon

Also at the same event, a new programme – supported by EDB – aimed at developing high-quality blue carbon projects across Asia was launched by WWF Singapore. Blue carbon credits refer to credits generated from the storing of carbon in oceans and other coastal ecosystems. 

Through the programme, the non-profit organisation aims to build up the capacity of blue carbon project developers that often face technical gaps in monitoring, modelling, baseline assessment, biodiversity measurement and field implementation. 

“These gaps undermine project integrity. Globally, a significant proportion of mangrove restoration projects have failed, in part due to the lack of specialised tools for carbon measurement, restoration planning and the delivery of positive biodiversity and social outcomes,” stated the press release. 

WWF Singapore will work with carbon project developers, technology startups, as well as research organisations to identify real-world needs, as well as develop practical and deployable solutions to address these challenges. 

The non-profit group will also support the refinement and validation of technologies, and the piloting of these solutions at selected project sites. 

Some of the technologies the programme will focus on include: 

• Geospatial mapping and data integration
• Carbon stock modelling
• Accessing remote and fragmented project sites
• Greenhouse gas flux measurement and modelling

This new blue carbon support programme builds on WWF Singapore’s earlier partnership with EDB, as well as an aquaculture-focused venture capital firm Hatch Blue, for an accelerator programme focusing on scaling blue carbon solutions.