Time Singapore started tapping into clean energy: NMP

‘Grow clean energy sector’
Neo Chai Chin, Today Online 30 May 09;

IT IS a win-win proposition for the environment and Singapore’s economy — and answers some pressing challenges faced by the country, as outlined by the Prime Minister earlier this week.

Singapore needs to grow its economic capabilities, create high-value jobs and make good use of its finite resources. So, why not take decisive steps to grow the clean energy sector and achieve all three goals, asked Nominated Member of Parliament and clean energy advocate Edwin Khew on Friday.

Although the Republic already has a dozen major players as well as the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore, it is not enough to become a global leader in clean energy. For solar energy, for example, what we need is a “whole value chain” of support companies from the electronics, semi-conductor and precision engineering sectors.

As for the conversion of waste to energy resource, Singapore could set up a solid waste research centre to delve into bio-processes to recover energy from organic residues, for instance.

Mr Khew noted the potential windfall for Singapore: Solar energy is worth US$100 billion ($144.55 billion) and is growing at 66 per cent yearly, while the waste-to-resource market is worth US$350 billion a year.

He also urged the Government to lend a helping hand. For starters, the Ministry of Trade and Industry could consider the concept of “feed-in tariffs” — where producers of clean energy are paid an above-market rate for the energy they produce. These tariffs have worked in countries like Germany, and would give a “strong push” for the industry to develop the best technology. The only drawback would be a slight increase in electricity bills for consumers, he said.

“There appears to exist in Singapore a gap between environmental awareness and action. We need to close that gap,” he said.