A Pulau Tekong site 40% the size of Sentosa could become an energy hub, EMA to study feasibility
The 200ha site could house hydrogen-ready natural gas-fired power plants, a liquefied natural gas terminal and other low-carbon energy technologies.
Renee Kuek Channel NewsAsia 06 Oct 2026 12:19PM(Updated: 06 Oct 2026 06:21PM)
SINGAPORE: A 200ha site on reclaimed land at Pulau Tekong – equivalent to about 40 per cent of Sentosa Island's land area – is being studied for a possible energy infrastructure cluster.
This could potentially house hydrogen-ready natural gas-fired power plants, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and other low-carbon energy technologies.
The Energy Market Authority (EMA) said on Tuesday (Oct 6) that it had published a tender a day earlier to appoint a consultant for a feasibility study, who will develop a proposed master plan for the cluster.
The selected consultant is expected to be appointed by mid-2027, and the study is estimated to take about two years.
During his National Day Rally speech in August, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that roughly 500ha of land on Pulau Tekong would remain available for future civilian uses after the Singapore Armed Forces' needs are met.
He added that the 500ha area was around the size of Toa Payoh town, although no decision had been made on how the land would be used.
Mr Wong previously highlighted the need for new power infrastructure as Singapore's energy needs grow. At Budget 2025, he said that the country needed more clean power to meet rising energy needs and reduce carbon emissions.
EMA said that the latest study is part of the government's efforts to assess potential land uses on Pulau Tekong while strengthening Singapore's energy security and supporting its energy transition.
In April, EMA launched a tender for up to three new hydrogen-ready natural gas-fired power plants to help meet rising electricity demand.
The latest version of the tender allows for up to five new electricity-generating units of at least 500 megawatts (MW) each in 2032.
The Economic Development Board has said that 600MW is enough to power more than 864,000 four-room flats for a year.
Singapore's electricity demand is expected to continue growing as the economy expands, with energy-intensive sectors such as semiconductor manufacturing and data centres among the drivers.
Based on EMA's latest projections, Singapore's power system peak demand is expected to grow by between 2.9 per cent and 6.5 per cent annually over the next 10 years.
By 2031, peak demand is forecast to reach between 9.9 gigawatts (GW) and 13GW.
EMA's chief executive officer Puah Kok Keong said in a statement on Tuesday: "Energy is a critical resource to support Singapore's continued development and growth.
"It is vital that we plan for our future energy infrastructure needs. If it materialises, the energy infrastructure cluster on Pulau Tekong will play an important role (in meeting) Singapore's growing energy needs."
Singapore has also been laying the groundwork for the adoption of hydrogen as a lower-carbon fuel, including studying the infrastructure, regulations and safety standards needed for its use in the power sector.
EMA has said that hydrogen could meet up to half of Singapore's projected electricity demand by 2050, depending on technological developments and other energy sources.
The country is also studying nuclear energy as another potential source of low-carbon power.
Editor's note: This article has been updated after the Energy Market Authority provided revised figures on Singapore's projected power demand, as well as updated details on new generating capacity planned for 2032.
S’pore mulls energy cluster on Tekong; including third LNG terminal and electricity import facilities
Shabana Begum Straits Times Oct 06, 2026, 02:50 PM
SINGAPORE – The military island of Pulau Tekong could potentially host Singapore’s third liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, hydrogen-compatible natural gas power plants and facilities for importing electricity.
The Energy Market Authority (EMA) on Oct 6 said it is studying the feasibility of building a 200ha energy infrastructure cluster on the island located off Singapore’s north-eastern coast, to strengthen the nation’s energy security and support its transition to greener energy sources.
This is equivalent to the size of 288 football fields.
EMA said: “Electricity demand in Singapore will grow as our economy continues to expand. While EMA studies the viability of diverse energy pathways, there is a need to plan ahead for new energy infrastructure to meet our long-term power demand.”
Singapore currently relies on imported natural gas, a fossil fuel, for about 93% of its energy needs.
It is currently building its second LNG terminal at Jurong Port. The terminal will be operational by the end of the decade. The Republic’s first LNG terminal began operations on Jurong Island in 2013.
But the country is also looking at alternative energy sources, including the use of hydrogen as a cleaner fuel, and importing electricity directly from its neighbours, to increase its energy security in a climate-friendly way.
To assess the feasibility of building an energy cluster on Pulau Tekong, EMA will appoint a consultant by mid-2027 to develop a proposed masterplan for the cluster. This study is expected to take two years to complete.
The Straits Times’ checks on tender documents published on Oct 5 on government procurement portal GeBiz showed that the study will assess the feasibility of accommodating approximately 6 gigawatts of domestic power generation and 2 gigawatts of electricity imports via three designated sea corridors.
For context, Singapore had the capacity to produce about 13 gigawatts of electricity in the first half of 2025. To date, Singapore has 13 electricity import projects in the works, with a combined capacity of more than 9 gigawatts. The projects cover solar, wind and hydropower from Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Australia.
The study will also look into accommodating nine to 15 telecommunication submarine cables via three to five designated sea corridors connecting to the area within Pulau Tekong.
EMA will share three development scenarios with the awarded consultant. Each scenario will outline key areas such as the type of energy mix, their capacity and proposed development timelines. The tender also mentions biomass and geothermal power plants.
The three scenarios will be shared only with the awarded consultant.
The consultant has to develop a masterplan for each scenario that identifies the optimal approach to use the 200ha of land for facilities including power plants, an LNG terminal, gas facilities, electricity import facilities, substations and a cable tunnel building, stated tender documents.
The feasibility study should also assess the technical, regulatory, environmental and aviation considerations linked to the proposed energy cluster.
During the National Day Rally in August, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that 500ha of land, about the size of Toa Payoh, could be set aside for civilian use on Pulau Tekong, with more reclamation works at the southern end of the island in the pipeline.
He also said studies are under way to see if it is feasible to build undersea tunnels linking the mainland to Pulau Tekong, to make it easier for people to reach the island.
EMA’s chief executive Puah Kok Keong said: “Energy is a critical resource to support Singapore’s continued development and growth. It is vital that we plan ahead for our future energy infrastructure needs.”
If the island’s energy cluster plan materialises, the cluster will play an important role to meet Singapore’s growing energy needs, he added.
Pulau Tekong could even be a second major energy cluster for Singapore, after Jurong Island, said Tan-Soo Jie Sheng, director of the Institute for Environment and Sustainability at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
It can be a multi-fuel energy hub, where some energy sources may have lower use because they serve as a back-up, instead of running all the time.
“But we gain energy resilience in return as we become less dependent on any single fuel, technology, supplier or geographical location,” Tan-Soo said.
Tekong’s location could also be advantageous for electricity imports from Riau Islands in Indonesia, he added.
While a potential third LNG terminal shows that natural gas is expected to remain an important part of Singapore’s energy mix for some time, more LNG import does not necessarily mean more gas consumption, Tan-Soo said.
Higher capacity for natural gas could provide energy security and flexibility, especially in crises, before greener alternatives are available at scale.
“LNG terminals and gas-fired power plants are long-lived investments, so ideally their economics should not depend on Singapore maintaining high levels of gas consumption for decades,” Tan-Soo added.
S’pore to tap diverse energy sources, explore new tech, to weather resource nationalism: Tan See Leng
Ang Qing Straits Times Oct 26, 2026, 09:49 AM
SINGAPORE – Singapore is preparing to weather the increasingly challenging global energy landscape marked by supply crunches and growing resource nationalism, said Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng on Oct 26.
To navigate these headwinds, the city-state is strengthening the diversity of its energy sources, and taking steps to ensure it has the infrastructure required to support them, he said at the opening of the Singapore International Energy Week conference at Marina Bay Sands.
And even as the Republic strives to ensure its energy security in the near-term with new fossil fuel partnerships, it will also step up its deployment of low-carbon options such as solar energy to meet future energy needs in a climate-friendly way, the minister said.
The Republic is also exploring emerging energy options that are not yet commercially viable, including nuclear and geothermal energy.
Tan, whose ministry was on Oct 1 renamed the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry to reflect the growing importance of energy for Singapore, was mapping out how Singapore will strengthen the energy sector. The ministry was previously known as the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Said Tan: “We must ensure our system resilience continues to be a source of confidence, harness energy to bolster our competitiveness, pursue low-carbon energy pathways, and deepen connectivity with our partners... while keeping costs in check.”
His remarks come two days after Indonesia reduced natural gas supplies to Singapore.
The amount of gas cut is less than 2% of the Republic’s total daily gas demand, Singapore’s energy regulator the Energy Market Authority (EMA) later clarified. Singapore relies on natural gas to meet about 95% of its needs.
Tan said the trend of resource nationalism is particularly concerning, especially if it undermines established contractual agreements.
He added that such moves increase business risk and deter investments in the energy sector, with negative long-term implications for energy importers like Singapore.
He also cited the disruption of global energy flows caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Coming just four years after the 2022 energy crisis, the situation could escalate further following recent attacks on Saudi Arabia.
When Singapore started importing gas, all of its gas was piped from neighbouring countries. Today, about half of the Republic’s gas is imported as liquified natural gas (LNG) from a global portfolio of sources, such as the US and Australia, said Tan.
He pointed out that the EMA requires Singapore’s power plants to also run on diesel, allowing them to tap the Republic’s reserves when there is a severe disruption to gas supplies.
This will be shored up with the signing of an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Singapore on Oct 26, which aims to enable the storage of Saudi crude oil in the Jurong Rock Caverns from the second half of 2027.
Located 150m beneath Jurong Island, the facility has a total storage capacity of 1.47 million cubic metres, enough to fill 600 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Quoting a Chinese saying, Tan said: “We cannot predict every disruption, but we will always ensure that Singapore is prepared for them.”
And as Singapore prepares to meet growing electricity demand by tapping a variety of different energy sources, the Republic will need to ensure it has the infrastructure to support this.
A five-year plan on how the Republic plans to expand its power system from 2026 was also rolled out on Oct 26.
“This will be the most significant build-up of our energy infrastructure in decades,” said Tan.
The plan features five new power plants, seven new substations and more underground transmission cables, as well as potential energy infrastructure on offshore Pulau Tekong. It also has an aim of tripling the capacity of energy storage systems here to 1 gigawatt-hour.
Energy storage systems help maintain balance in the power system by storing excess electricity during periods of high solar generation and releasing the stored energy when solar output is lower or when the system is under stress, explained Tan.
Elaborating on Singapore’s plans for solar energy, Tan said Singapore intends to expand the deployment of its “most viable indigenous renewable energy source” to 4 gigawatt-peak by 2035.
This is up from its refreshed target of 3 gigawatt-peak by the end of this decade, and amounts to about 5% of the country’s total electricity demand projected for 2030.
The Republic is also working with Chinese firm GCL Perovskite on a proposed pilot for next-generation solar panels that could generate more solar energy with the same amount of space, Tan said. Traditional solar panels are made of silicon, while next-generation ones made of a material known as perovskite could potentially increase its efficiency.
In a drive to develop low-carbon technologies for cleaner and more secure power generation, Tan also announced a $75 million initiative that will fund research in promising technologies.
Despite Singapore’s bigger push for solar energy, it will need other sources of low-carbon energy, noted Tan, who laid out how the Republic is seriously studying tapping nuclear and geothermal energy.
While Singapore has not yet decided whether it will tap nuclear energy, it is working to build up its local expertise to help the country make an informed decision.
To this end, Tan said selected public officers will be able to experience what it is like to work in some of the world’s leading nuclear energy organisations. This will be part of several new schemes to build a pool of nuclear experts and professionals in Singapore.
He said: “Now, even if Singapore eventually decides not to deploy nuclear energy, the capabilities and expertise we are developing today will continue to serve us well, particularly as interest in nuclear energy grows across South-east Asia and around the world.”
Sharing findings from Singapore’s survey of its geothermal resources, Tan said consultants have found that the technical potential of these resources for power generation is more than 60 times Singapore’s current annual electricity consumption.
He added: “We have not yet made a decision on whether to deploy geothermal in Singapore, and it could take many years before we get to that decision. Nevertheless, as I’ve said many times before, no option is off the table for us here in Singapore.”
The Republic is also deepening its connectivity with partners.
On Oct 26, EMA awarded a conditional approval to Sembcorp Utilities to import up to 1.3 gigawatts (GW) of renewable electricity from and through Peninsular Malaysia to Singapore.
This could mean the import of electricity from sources elsewhere from 2035, including solar power from Malaysia and offshore wind in Vietnam, through connected infrastructure.
Singapore targets to import 6 GW of low-carbon electricity from its neighbours by 2035, which will account for around 30% of the Republic’s electricity demand that year.
Marine subsea surveys to build a new subsea interconnector between Singapore and Peninsular will start in October, Tan added. This will be the Republic’s second interconnection with Malaysia.
Said Tan: “This marks a concrete step forward in adding up to 2 GW of new interconnection capacity between Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia by 2030, which will complement the 1 GW of capacity via our existing interconnector.”
The location of the interconnector’s landing site will be determined following the completion of the studies, said an EMA spokesperson.
Tan said the announcements build on foundations that have been laid over many years.
He added: “Our task now is to reinforce, consolidate, and continue to build on these foundations with the same resolve with which we wrote Singapore’s water story.”
