Singapore sets net zero target by 2050, considering hydrogen energy

On Tuesday, Singapore announced it was aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050, setting a date for the first time with certainty and will consider using hydrogen as a primary energy source.

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the city-state’s carbon emissions target would peak by 2030 at 60 million tonnes, five million tonnes less than the previous target.

The Southeast Asian country also plans to consider low-carbon development hydrogen as a major source of energy in the long term.

“If technology continues to advance, we predict that hydrogen could provide up to half of our electricity needs by 2050, along with domestic renewable energy sources and electricity imports,” Wong said. said at an industry conference.

He added that Singapore will test key hydrogen technologies to see how it can be deployed on a large scale.

“We don’t have land for large wind or solar farms, or fast-flowing rivers to provide hydroelectric power,” said Wong, the country’s prime minister.

Green hydrogen is in the spotlight as governments seek to cut carbon emissions amid global warming and protect energy supplies affected by Russian oil producer Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But the “hydrogen economy” has yet to fully kick in as it awaits significant absorption from highly polluting sectors such as steel and aeronautics.

“Many hydrogen technologies are still under development and a global supply chain is yet to be established,” the Singapore government said in a statement.

“However, there has been strong international interest from the public and private sectors to accelerate development,” it added.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the low-lying island nation was particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and that protecting it from the threat was “existential”.

© 2022 AFP