Hydrogen the key puzzle piece for Singapore’s decarbonisation

SINGAPORE stands at a critical point in its decarbonisation pathway, to reach its net-zero goal by or around mid-century. As announced by the Ministry of Trade and Industry at this year’s Singapore International Energy Week, building up capabilities for hydrogen-fuelled power generation will be key.

The power sector currently makes up 40 per cent of the nation’s total carbon emissions. To reduce this carbon footprint, hydrogen is the most promising alternative fuel to natural gas, which addresses 95 per cent of our energy needs today.

According to the Hydrogen Council, clean hydrogen, defined by its production from renewables and low-carbon methods, has the potential to represent 11 per cent of total carbon emission abatement needed to limit global warming to 1.5-1.8 deg C. One of the scenarios in the Energy Market Authority’s Energy 2050 Committee Report also projects that hydrogen as the main energy source could account for up to 60 per cent in Singapore’s energy mix.