Update on Tuas Power’s clean coal plant

Tuas Power, National Environment Agency and Energy Market Authority replied to our letter on the new clean coal plant being one step forward and two steps backward in Singapore’s green efforts. This is our reply to The Straits Times:

I refer to the reply letters, “Clean coal: Assurance by Tuas Power” by Tuas Power and “Plant balances cost and green concerns” by the National Environment Agency and Energy Market Authority. It is reassuring that Tuas Power and the Government are committed to environmental sustainability. However, I find that the comparison of carbon emissions between the new plant and existing oil-fired plants is inappropriate.

Singapore generates 80 per cent of its electricity by natural gas-fired plants, which are more efficient and less carbon intensive than oil-fired plants. Since gas-fired plants are the main type of technology used in Singapore, new plants to be built should be using
technologies that produce carbon emissions at a level that is equivalent to or better than the existing gas-fired plants, and not the oil-fired plants.

Is the carbon emission per unit of electricity generation for Tuas Power’s new plant less or more than a gas-fired plant?

If Singapore is committed to do its part in global efforts to tackle climate change, we should be using fuel and technologies that reduce carbon emissions.

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