Update on Extending Natural Gas Pipes Islandwide to Industrial Estates
Ministry of Trade and IndustrySpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the progress of expanding natural gas pipelines to industrial estates islandwide, as raised by Mr Gan Thiam Poh. Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing reported that the network grew by 150 kilometres over the past decade, primarily serving areas with high demand in northern and western Singapore. He explained that further extensions are capital-intensive and depend on sustained demand, financial viability, and the emergence of safer, more sustainable technological alternatives. Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing also suggested that companies adopt electrification, solar power, and energy efficiency measures to reduce emissions. Various grant schemes are available to assist businesses in improving their energy efficiency and transitioning to cleaner energy options.
Transcript
12 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in extending natural gas pipes islandwide to promote the use of natural gas especially to all industrial estates.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Our natural gas pipeline network has been expanding to meet growing demand from power plants and the industry since large-scale natural gas imports began in 2001. Between 2001 and 2011, 245 kilometres of pipelines were built. Over the past 10 years, the natural gas pipeline network expanded by around 150 kilometres, or by around 61%.
The development and extension of natural gas pipelines is capital-intensive. The natural gas pipeline network covers our industrial estates in western and northern Singapore where there is sufficient natural gas demand today. The remaining industrial estates do not have sufficient natural gas demand currently to justify extending the natural gas network to them. Any expansion of the natural gas pipeline network will depend on several factors, including whether there is sustained demand growth in these industrial estates; whether the industry's needs can be met with safer and more environmentally sustainable solutions as these become more viable with technological development; and the financial viability and pricing of various options.
Besides switching to cleaner fuels such as natural gas to reduce their carbon emissions, companies can consider electrification, utilise renewable energy such as solar power, or implement energy efficiency measures, to reduce their carbon emissions. Companies can also tap on various energy efficiency grant schemes to improve their energy efficiency.