Singapore is looking to increase its gas-fired power plants to keep up with the growing demand for electricity. The Energy Market Authority (EMA) has called for proposals to build and operate two new natural gas-fired power plants by the end of the decade. These plants are expected to be ready by 2029 and 2030 and will each have a capacity of at least 600 megawatts.
The decision to expand the power generation capacity comes as Singapore’s electricity demand continues to rise, driven by sectors such as advanced manufacturing, the digital economy, and transport. The EMA projects that the peak demand for electricity will grow by at least 3.7% over the next six years, reaching between 10.1 gigawatts (GW) and 11.8 GW by 2030.
Ngiam Shih Chun, the Chief Executive of EMA, emphasized the importance of ensuring sufficient generation capacity to meet the growing demand for electricity in Singapore. Additionally, Singapore recently announced a Green Data Centre Roadmap to support the growth of data centers in the country. The roadmap aims to provide at least 300 MW of additional capacity in the near term through green energy deployments.
Despite Singapore’s current capacity of over 1.4 GW of data center capacity, neighboring markets are expected to have over 2,500 MW of data center capacity in the near future. This could pose a challenge to Singapore’s leadership in the data center industry.
In conclusion, Singapore is proactively addressing the increasing demand for electricity by planning to build new gas-fired power plants and supporting the growth of data centers through sustainable practices. These initiatives will ensure that Singapore can meet its electricity needs in the coming years.