Singapore has announced a five-year energy infrastructure plan to prepare for rising electricity demand from data centers, semiconductor fabrication and the electrification of transport. The Energy Market Authority’s plan covers power generation, transmission, storage and regional connections as peak demand is forecast to increase by as much as 50% over the next decade.
Peak demand reached 8.6 gigawatts in August. Planners expect it to rise to between 9.9 gigawatts and 13 gigawatts by 2031, with the pace depending in part on how quickly new manufacturing and computing facilities connect to the grid.
The country plans to bring five natural gas-fired power stations online by 2031, adding about 26% to its current generation capacity of roughly 12 gigawatts. Regulators are also reviewing bids for additional gas units due to begin commercial operations by 2032, and may hold further tenders if industrial demand requires more capacity.
Singapore is also assessing a possible energy district on Pulau Tekong, including hydrogen-ready gas plants, a liquefied natural gas import terminal and other low-carbon energy facilities. Natural gas currently produces about 95% of the country’s electricity. Regasification capacity is expected to grow from 10 million metric tons annually to 15 million once a second import terminal at Jurong Port starts operating by 2030. Officials are also considering expanding the main terminal on Jurong Island and strengthening the domestic gas pipeline network.
Grid investment is another major part of the plan. Singapore expects to spend up to $5.3 billion on power grid expansion from 2025 to 2029—11 times the amount spent in the previous five years. Plans call for seven transmission substations by 2031, compared with four completed over the prior five years, and an increase in high-voltage lines from about 7,700 kilometers to 9,100 kilometers by 2030. Distribution networks will also be reinforced to accommodate rooftop solar and electric vehicle charging.
Authorities are studying whether to more than triple the existing 31-mile underground cable tunnel network, which could reduce maintenance disruption from street excavation and provide direct connections to industrial sites, including Tampines Wafer Fab Park.
Singapore has installed 2.3 gigawatts-peak of solar capacity and expects to exceed its 3-gigawatt-peak target for 2030. It is now aiming for 4 gigawatts-peak by 2035, with panels planned for rooftops, reservoirs and available land. Battery storage is also expected to expand from about 350 megawatt-hours to more than 1 gigawatt-hour by 2030, helping manage solar variability, support grid frequency and ease local congestion during upgrades.
For regional supply, the government plans to prepare shore facilities for subsea electricity links from neighboring countries. Technical teams are studying a second high-voltage connection with Peninsular Malaysia. If built, it could transfer up to 2 gigawatts by 2030, doubling the capacity of the existing 1-gigawatt, two-way connection.
Sources: CleanTechnica.