S'pore keen to work with regional partners to capture, store CO2: SM Teo

Firms here may be able to ship emissions to Indonesia for storage there if plan pans out

- Cheryl Tan

Singapore is keen to work with regional partners to capture carbon emissions at source and store them deep underground to ensure that planet-warming carbon dioxide is not released into the atmosphere, said Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean.

Such carbon capture and storage (CCS) solutions are not new, but he said there is growing international recognition that CCS can play an important role in achieving significant reductions in industrial emissions.

"Countries in the region, such as Australia, Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, have strong geological potential for carbon dioxide storage, and some of our regional partners have announced plans to develop as regional CCS hubs," Mr Teo said in Parliament on Feb 28.

By capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from hard-to-abate sectors like the power, industrial and chemical sectors, Singapore could help to decarbonise these sectors more effectively.

"We are keen to work with likeminded partners on pathfinder projects to catalyse the development of such regional hubs," he added.

He was responding to Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) and Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang GRC) on how the Government is turning its ambitions into action, and how the Government is supporting businesses and households in the green transition.

In 2022, Singapore announced enhanced climate targets, committing to reduce emissions by 2030 to 60 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, and to achieve netzero emissions by 2050.

On Feb 15, Singapore became the first country to sign a letter of intent with Indonesia to collaborate on the cross-border capture and storage of CO2. This means that if the agreement comes into force, Singapore firms can ship or pipe their CO2 emissions to Indonesia for storage there.