Singapore is expanding its study islandwide to assess whether geothermal energy may be a potential source of renewable energy for the country.
The Energy Market Authority (EMA) said on Monday (Sep 4) that it has issued a request for proposal for a non-invasive geophysical study to assess Singapore’s deep geothermal resource potential – at depths of up to 10km – for power generation.
About two years ago, the EMA launched exploratory studies in the northern and eastern parts of the country. These areas have been identified to hold geothermal potential based on their higher surface temperature measurements.
“The past studies have indicated that Singapore lies in a region of high subsurface heat flow and could potentially possess heat resources deep underground,” EMA said.
In July, an exploratory study by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) found that the heat from a depth of 4km to 5km in the Admiralty area could be suitable for power generation.
Hot temperatures found deep underground at a site near the Sembawang hot spring could possibly generate enough energy to power cooling systems, scientists behind the research said.
A "holistic study" is required to determine the overall geothermal potential and the scalability of geothermal power across Singapore, EMA said.
“The comprehensive study under the (request for proposal) will provide additional data to assess geothermal energy as a potential source of renewable energy, and identify suitable locations for the potential deployment of geothermal power plants in Singapore,” the authority added.
The data and information collected from the study will be used to assess the potential for subsurface geologic carbon sequestration in Singapore.
Geologic carbon sequestration involves injecting carbon dioxide deep underground into geological formations for long-term storage to mitigate climate change.
As a small, resource-constrained country, Singapore has limited renewable energy options and imports almost all its energy needs.
"EMA is thus exploring indigenous energy options other than solar to further diversify and decarbonise Singapore’s energy sources to support Singapore’s international climate commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, while also improving the country’s energy resilience," said the authority.
Singapore has pledged to halve its 2030 peak greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with a view to achieve net zero emissions as soon as viable in the second half of the century.
EMA previously said that if Singapore adopts geothermal energy for power generation in future, it would be one of the first countries to deploy next-generation geothermal systems in a densely populated city.
