Singapore to pilot carbon capture and storage technology at waste-to-energy plants

Singapore will be launching a pilot by 2026 to test the viability of carbon capture technologies at its waste-to-energy plants, announced Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and Environment Amy Khor on Tuesday (4 Mar).

This method of removing residual emissions, whereby carbon dioxide produced during industrial processes is separated before being released into the atmosphere and stored elsewhere, is one of the many strategies the government is studying in a bid to achieve its national target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

The government will also invest about S$300 million over the next five years to improve the energy efficiency of public sector buildings, said Khor, who was laying out several government net zero initiatives on Tuesday during the parliamentary debate on the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment’s budget.

In addition to a national climate target, the public sector itself has a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2045.

Eligible projects could include retrofits to energy consuming systems or installation of smart systems for energy optimisation at public sector offices, hospitals, and MRT stations.
 

“These projects will contribute towards our climate targets, payback through lifecycle cost-savings and generate excess savings for government in the long term,” said Khor.

The S$300 million fund can also test bed innovative solutions, which could stimulate growth and build energy services expertise for the built environment sector.

This could ultimately catalyse energy efficiency improvements in the larger stock of private sector buildings, she added.
 

Other initiatives include:

• Guidelines on sustainable e-commerce packaging

A set of voluntary guidelines on how e-commerce players can reduce their packaging waste has been developed by an industry association supported by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

It provides solutions for common packaging types such as cardboard boxes, mailers and fillers, and are rated based on effort required, cost, and environmental impact.

Companies can adopt solutions that best suit their needs to achieve cost savings and minimise environmental impact, said Khor.

These companies are already required to report their packaging data to NEA under the Mandatory Packaging Reporting scheme.

• Environmental considerations in government tenders

The government is looking at incorporating broader environmental sustainability considerations for facility management government tenders, said Khor.

It previously announced that it will be assessing the sustainability credentials of companies bidding for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions tenders, as well as other events organised by the public sector from financial year 2025.

Since FY2024, the government had allocated 5 per cent of tender evaluation criteria to environmental sustainability considerations for projects in construction, as well as information and communications technology.
 

• Energy efficiency standards for chilled water systems

From April 2026, owners of new industrial facilities will have to ensure that the energy efficiency standards of their chilled water systems meet the minimum threshold set by the Building and Construction Authority for space cooling in new commercial buildings.

This is to align energy efficiency standards across sectors, ease regulatory compliance for businesses and improve industrial energy efficiency, said Khor.

She added that building owners can expect annual energy savings of at least S$63,000 for each new industrial facility over the 15-year lifespan of chilled water systems. There is also a short payback period of less than two years, making the installation of energy efficient chilled water systems more cost-effective.

• Coastal protection plans

The government will conduct coastal protection studies at Sentosa and the island’s southwest coast by 2026, announced Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu, who was also speaking at the parliamentary debate on her ministry’s budget.

These are two new additions to six other site-specific studies that Singapore has started conducting since 2021. The other sites include Jurong Island, the stretch between the East Coast area and Marina Bay known as the city-east coast, the Greater Southern Waterfront district, and Changi.

Sentosa Development Corporation will lead the study for Sentosa Island and dovetail coastal protection measures with its upcoming development plans. National water agency PUB will conduct the study for the southwest coast, which stretches from Tuas to Pasir Panjang.

Coastal protection measures will be progressively implemented from 2030 and stretch over a few decades, starting with measures at the city-east coast, which includes the Long Island project, said Hazel Khoo, director of PUB’s coastal protection department.

The project is expected to reclaim about 800 hectares of land off East Coast in the coming decades, as a solution to protect the area from a rise in the sea level.

Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, who is also prime minister, announced during his Budget statement last month that he will top up the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund by another S$5 billion to S$10 billion.

Singapore is also preparing a coastal protection legislation, which is expected to be tabled in the second half of this year, said Fu. The legislation will set out the responsibilities of relevant stakeholders, safeguard land for coastal protection measures and ensure that coastal protection standards are met.

The government is also consulting the industry on the development of a code that sets design standards, as well as operation and maintenance requirements for coastal protection measures. PUB aims to release this code by the first half of 2026. It is also launching a guidebook for building owners increase the resilience of their premises against floods.
 

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