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.
