Inaugural survey of industry will list a few hundred Singapore-based firms
Matthew Phan, Business Times 4 Dec 07;
THE Singapore Business Federation (SBF) will release the first directory listing of clean energy-related companies in Singapore in the first half of 2008, along with an inaugural survey of the industry.
The directory will be 'comprehensive', and already includes the names of a few hundred Singapore-based firms, according to its director of industry development Patrick Chan in an interview.
But most of these play 'secondary' or supporting roles to the industry, such as in consultancy, financing and research, or logistics and manufacturing of components, he said.
'As far as primary companies are concerned, while we have attracted the likes of REC and Vestas, there are not many locally originated companies in this area,' said Mr Chan.
'Primary' vendors comprise seven of the directory's 15 sub-groupings.
The seven primary sub-groupings range from renewable energy providers (like solar, wind or fuel cells), to carbon trading, energy efficiency, power generation, environmental management and conservation, and other sectors like agriculture.
Another eight sub-groupings play 'secondary' or supporting roles. They include brand names like market research firms Frost & Sullivan, which now have separate divisions for clean energy, oil majors like Shell, BP and ExxonMobil, as well as accounting firms KPMG, PwC and GrantThorton, which are looking at carbon and energy audits.
In comparison, local firms are still very much at the awareness and learning stage, said Mr Chan.
But this has benefited consultancies and research organisations, as firms try to find out more by joining conferences, informal sessions or exhibitions, he said.
Project managers and financiers - of whom many major players have based regional operations in Singapore - have also grown thanks to activity in other South-east Asian countries.
It could be another 1 to 2 years before Singapore firms play a substantial role in clean energy, either as primary vendors or buyers, said Mr Chan.
Meanwhile, the industry survey - which has obtained responses from at least 60 firms so far and is due to release preliminary results in Jan 2008 - will shed light on the state of the industry and clarify issues and future potential.
The SBF includes Clean Energy as one of its three major industry sectors, along with Franchising and Infocomm Technology.
It was added only this year, after the government said in March that it would commit $350 million to research funding for the sector, said Mr Chan.
The Economic Development Board estimates the sector will add over $1.7 billion in value and employ over 12,000 professionals by 2012.
