MPA, EMA advance power generation and bunkering

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have shortlisted two consortia for the next round of evaluations of proposals to provide a low- or zero-carbon ammonia solution on Jurong Island for power generation and bunkering.

The two consortia were selected from a total of six that were earlier shortlisted in 2023 to participate in a restricted Request for Proposal (RFP), following an Expression of Interest (EOI) called in 2022.

The bids were assessed based on the technical, safety and commercial aspects of their proposals. The two consortium leads are Keppel’s Infrastructure Division and Sembcorp-SLNG, and the bunkering players in these consortia are Itochu Corporation, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and Sumitomo Corporation.

The two consortia will proceed to conduct engineering, safety, and emergency response studies for the proposed project. In the next phase, the MPA will select one of the two bidders as the project’s lead developer.

The lead developer will create the end-to-end ammonia solution comprising generating 55 to 65 megawatts (MW) of electricity from imported low- or zero-carbon ammonia via direct combustion in a Combined Cycle Gas Turbine; and facilitating ammonia bunkering at a capacity of at least 0.1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), starting with shore-to-ship bunkering followed by ship-to-ship bunkering.

Given the nascency of the technology and global supply chains, the government will work closely with the appointed lead developer to implement the project. MPA aims to announce the lead developer by Q1 2025.

The project is part of Singapore’s National Hydrogen Strategy launched in 2022, which outlines Singapore’s approach to developing low-carbon hydrogen as a major decarbonisation pathway. A key thrust of this strategy is to experiment with advanced hydrogen technologies that are on the cusp of commercial readiness.

In April 2024, a year after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Green and Digital Shipping Corridor, the MPA, Port of Los Angeles, and Port of Long Beach completed a comprehensive baselining study.

More recently, the MPA and NYK signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on maritime decarbonisation, digitalisation, and manpower development efforts.