Question

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry whether Singapore can commit to phasing out the use of unabated coal in its electricity mix earlier than the committed 2050 timeframe announced with Singapore's joining of the Powering Past Coal Alliance on 4 November 2021.

Written Answer by Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong

1. Coal makes up around 1% of Singapore’s power generation capacity. It is used only at the Tembusu Multi-Utilities Complex (TMUC), which produces electricity and steam using a mix of clean coal (i.e. low-ash and low sulphur) and biomass to reduce the overall carbon intensity of the plant.

2. We do not intend to build any new unbated coal-powered plants. The timeline for phasing out TMUC will need to take into account the remaining asset life of the plant and the availability of viable alternatives for companies that it supplies to. We will work with the companies to explore bringing forward the timeline and mitigating the emissions where possible.