Biomethane is also known as renewable gas, and is chemically identical to fossil-derived methane – the main component of natural gas.
According to the International Energy Agency, biomethane is produced mainly through upgrading biogas from organic waste in a process that removes carbon dioxide and other contaminants. Organic waste can come from sources such as the agricultural sector.
Meanwhile, natural gas is pumped from deposits underground or beneath the sea floor, and consists mainly of methane.
Unlike natural gas, biomethane is considered to have a lower carbon footprint because the carbon it produces when burned is part of a natural carbon cycle that would have been released into the atmosphere anyway through the process of decomposition.
If fossil-derived gas is used, new carbon is considered to have been “added” to the atmosphere.
Dr Tan announced that Singapore is establishing a regulatory sandbox of up to 300MW to catalyse biomethane supply chain development, and facilitate adoption by key industry players. A capacity of 300MW can supply the energy needs of around 600,000 HDB households.
A regulatory sandbox is a controlled environment where firms can test new innovations under the supervision of a regulator.
The Republic had previously said it expects natural gas to continue to meet more than 50 per cent of its energy needs by 2035, as it could take time for the other energy options being explored to become viable.
A key advantage of using biomethane is that such a fuel can be used within the existing natural gas infrastructure without costly retrofits.
Using hydrogen or ammonia would require existing plants to be upgraded.
Biomethane is already used for power generation in regions like Europe.
Nuclear is another new area that Singapore is “seriously studying”, Dr Tan said, with the country especially interested in newer technologies such as small modular reactors.
To further strengthen its capabilities in studying nuclear energy, Dr Tan announced that the Energy Market Authority (EMA) will be signing new cooperation agreements with two US organisations, non-profit research group Battelle Memorial Institute and Idaho National Laboratory.
They build on existing nuclear agreements with the US, including the 123 Agreement on Nuclear Cooperation – first signed between the two countries in July 2024 – which allows Singapore to learn more about the latest nuclear technologies and scientific research from American organisations.
In September, Singapore was also added to a list by the US that allows better access to critical technical information on US nuclear energy technologies, he said.
Dr Tan added: “We understand that the public has many questions about our plans. We will engage the public regularly as we progress on this journey together.”
For a start, on 27 October, the Government released a background paper on Singapore’s nuclear energy capability-building journey to provide the public with an overview of the country’s interests, and the Government’s work on capability building thus far, Dr Tan said.
The paper, which highlights issues such as reasons for considering nuclear and its safety aspects, will help contextualise Singapore’s efforts within regional and global decarbonisation, and nuclear energy developments.
The Straits Times reported on 20 October that EMA and the National Environment Agency have formed dedicated nuclear teams, as part of a governmental reorganisation first mentioned by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in February.
