The grid, the growth and the game plan

From our nation’s conception until the early 2000s, our growth was solely powered by fuel oil¹. At the turn of the millennium we began switching to imported natural gas, bringing us to today, where 95% of our energy is being produced from natural gas¹. But as we strive on in our ambitious journey towards net-zero emissions, the transition to yet cleaner energy sources continues, as generating electricity still accounts for about 40% of total carbon emissions².

This transition is paramount, now more than ever. According to the Energy Market Authority (EMA), the national grid’s peak demand is predicted to rise every year over the next five years³, making it crucial that Singapore incorporates different sources of energy into the mix to reduce its carbon footprint. Besides taking steps to ensure that the day-to-day operations of the grid runs optimally and reliably, SP Group’s efforts towards its green transition include exploring various energy alternatives, many of which also hinge on embracing new technologies.

According to Singapore’s Green Plan 2030, the year 2035 should see 30% of projected energy being imported from regional power grids. By tapping into clean energy sources beyond our borders, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint while enhancing our energy security. This shift signals the need to adopt technologies such as High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) and High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) systems to facilitate the transmission of green electrons from resource-rich markets to Singapore shores. And as such, SP is actively collaborating with various agencies and importers to bolster technological capabilities in preparation for future electricity imports. Singapore first began importing 100 megawatts (MW) hydropower from Laos in June 2022, via the power grids in Thailand and Malaysia². In September of the same year, Malaysia began supplying electricity to Singapore through the same collaboration, raising the potential inflow to as much as 200 MW². To date, the EMA has granted conditional approval to several projects that aim to import a combined 5,600 MW of low-carbon electricity from Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam². And it has also given the go-ahead for a project to import solar-generated electricity from Australia via a 4,300-km undersea cable².

Besides exploring green energy alternatives, SP Group also helps organisations lower their consumption. Our Sustainable Energy Solutions enable these organisations to transit, monitor and lower their energy usage as part of the larger decarbonisation effort.

The GET® suite of solutions works with existing systems, as well as our other renewable energy and district cooling solutions to provide a holistic approach towards energy efficiencies that are better for consumers, for the grid, and for a more sustainable future.