Keppel Infrastructure Holdings Pte Ltd. (Singapore; www.kepinfra.com) has signed an agreement with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) to develop, own and operate a state-of-the-art gasification facility on Jurong Island, Singapore. The agreement marks the culmination of a competitive selection process conducted by EDB as part of the Jurong Island v2.0 initiative. Securing the agreement for development of the facility is an important step in preparation for the final investment decision, which will be taken at a later date.
The facility, now in its project development phase, will use proven and reliable best-in-class technologies to produce hydrogen, carbon monoxide, synthesis gas (syngas) and other industrial gases from a variety of potential feedstock, including coal and refinery by-products. As part of its commitment to sustainability, Keppel Infrastructure will also develop energy efficient and R&D projects to augment the facility.
The facility will be well-positioned to meet anticipated future demands of Singapore’s refining and chemicals industries.
A significant development is the global sulfur cap of 0.5%, announced by the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee, requiring all ships to comply with the reduced (from 3.5%) sulfur emissions limit by 1 January 2020. As the refining industry in Singapore adopts the production of low sulfur compliant fuel, there will be increased demand for hydrogen from existing and new customers.
“Under the Jurong Island v2.0 initiative, we explored alternative feedstock options to enhance the long term competitiveness of the energy and chemicals sector,” says Damian Chan, executive director, Energy & Chemicals, EDB. “After extensive evaluation, we found that gasification would be able to meet industry’s demand for competitive hydrogen and carbon monoxide, while the use of best-in-class mitigation technologies would minimize its environmental impact.”