Research Areas
Exploring various topics and ideas for cli-mate.help development and impact.
Current Research Topics
singapore's energy
source 1: 22/3/22 article
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- [Singapore must diversify its energy supply by having more electricity imports and using low-carbon hydrogen for power generation, as part of nine recommended strategies laid out in the 56-page report] - what report? what strategies? have they been implemented?
- [committee – chaired by Mr Choi Shing Kwok, director and chief executive officer of the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute – noted that it was “not possible to craft a single definitive long-term strategy” given how complex the energy transition will be] - who is choi shing kwok? what is complex about an energy transition?
- [3 plausible scenarios: (1) clean energy renaissance - world collective action to develop energy and digital technologies rapidly, assumes strong global cooperation between countries, end with sg decarbonising smoothly & diversified supply mix by 2050; (2) climate action bloc - supportive geopolitical environment, favours global solutions, tech development especially energy related is slow, end with sg 2050's main supply be imported electricity while waiting for low carbon tech to mature; (3) emergent technology trailblazer - fragmented geopolitical but tech development accelerates closer to 2050, sg makes proactive investments in new tech to decarbonise & hydrogen as main energy supply] - i would need to rethink all 3 scenarios. my intuition is that hydrogen is as dangerous as nuclear, would need to fact check this again. in 2025, we're approaching something closer to a mix of (2) and (3) where ASEAN is trying to stick together while the western powers do their own thing.
- [While Singapore takes on a different decarbonisation journey in each scenario, the committee said it is evident that electricity imports, hydrogen, solar and energy storage systems will be important. New low-carbon supply alternatives and carbon markets may also play key roles. In tandem, efforts must be made to manage the growth of energy demand and shape user consumption to “provide a longer runway to deploy supply-side measures, while also lowering costs”. A “multi-layered grid” with digital technologies for security and efficiency will also be required amid the proliferation of distributed energy resources and other changes by then.] - basically, trying to figure out the most viable way to build a distributed and secure energy resource system. to me, it sounds like i should approach this problem first as an software engineer, restructuring the monolith to a modular system. what is singapore's current energy supply chain? the demand can be held off for now since pricing doesn't seem to be the current issue from this article alone.
- [Singapore will be starting its trials for electricity imports this year. To ensure supply security, the country will need to develop a diversified portfolio of import partnerships supported by a regional grid and trading platform, as well as cost-efficient back-up supply options.] - the 'trials for electricity imports' is a hyperlink but there's no link connected. how would trials work?
- [Singapore should develop “a national hydrogen strategy” and work with local and international stakeholders to develop a robust hydrogen supply chain, the report said. Solar is another potential supply, although that will require more innovative deployment options, the use of the latest solar photovoltaic technologies and more energy storage systems. Other strategies mooted include tapping carbon markets to address “residual and hard-to-abate carbon” and monitoring technology developments for new low-carbon supply alternatives, such as carbon capture, utilisation, and storage, geothermal and nuclear fusion technologies.] - what about the amount of land needed for energy utilisation? as far as i know, nuclear is the most efficient in terms of output and land usage.
source 2: 31/7/24 article
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- [the agreement will enable deeper nuclear cooperation and build on Singapore and US' strong bilateral partnership. The agreement is expected to come into force by end-2024 and will last for 30 years. This agreement will also enable Singapore to collaborate with other countries that use nuclear energy technologies and designs containing components or intellectual property of US origin. To date, the US has 24 active 123-Agreements including with China, India and Japan. Several ASEAN member states also have agreements with the US. Indonesia and Vietnam's respective deals with the US came into force in 1981 and 2014, while the Philippines' agreement with the US entered into force earlier this month on Jul 2] - several countries are in agreement to utilise nuclear. US as the main manufacturer of sorts for nuclear, i think this could be good for security if the politicians who matter make ethical decisions thoroughly.
- [123 Agreements provide a legal framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation such as the export of nuclear material, equipment, and components from the United States to another country, according to the US Department of State’s website. In addition, they facilitate cooperation in other areas, such as educational and technological transfers and collaborations between US and partner countries. Partners are held by a set of non-proliferation requirements to guarantee that the information obtained through this agreement will only be used for peaceful purposes. US Congress approval is needed for the deal, which will facilitate Singapore’s access to detailed information on US nuclear energy technologies and expertise that are under export control.] - same point as before
- [Singapore has not made any decision regarding the deployment of nuclear energy in the country] - why not? it is because we are afraid for security/safety reasons or we don't have enough knowledge?
- [22 report on Singapore’s energy future commissioned by the Energy Market Authority stated that nuclear energy could supply about a tenth of the country’s energy needs by 2050. In April, Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng said that the country has plans to build a pool of about 100 nuclear energy experts in the medium to long run but stressed that no decision had been made on the deployment of nuclear energy. "We are committed to a decarbonisation journey, a process that will end by 2050, resulting in net zero emissions. So we will do everything that's possible to ensure that we achieve those targets but at the same time, we need to always ensure our own energy security, and also at the same time to make it cost effective for all of our fellow citizens," said Dr Tan, adding that all options were "on the table". "Clean nuclear energy is one possible option but let me be clear, we have not decided on whether we're going to eventually use nuclear energy or not." ] - why not? with nuclear, we could reach net zero emissions quicker than 2050.
- [US’ Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) program. Under the FIRST programme, Singapore will gain access to the network of US entities involved in civilian nuclear energy, including the US National Laboratories and companies developing newer nuclear energy technologies, to facilitate our capability-building process. FIRST will also serve as a platform to coordinate US-Singapore civil nuclear cooperation, the factsheet said.] - still exploring? this article was in 2024
source 3: 11/10/24 article
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- i skimmed this article. would have to come back to this, this article's info is synonymous to isodope's rad future book's findings. perhaps reach out to authors to understand their perspective better. their information was a year ahead of its time.
source 4: 18/2/25 article
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- [Authorities had considered the possibility of using nuclear power in 2010, but assessed that conventional nuclear technologies were not suitable for Singapore.] - why not suitable for Singapore?
- [However, there have been "significant advancements" in nuclear technologies since, with the development of SMRs which have better safety features than conventional reactors, added Mr Wong. He pointed out that regardless of whether Singapore looks to electricity, hydrogen or nuclear energy, it will need to make "major investments" in new infrastructure. As such, there will be a S$5 billion top up to the Future Energy Fund, he announced. "This will further support our critical undertaking to secure clean power for Singapore," added Mr Wong. He had announced the setting up of the fund with an initial injection of S$5 billion at last year's Budget. Said Mr Wong: "Our efforts to enhance our technology and innovation engines, strengthen our enterprise ecosystem, invest in new infrastructure and overcome our resource constraints, will enable us to refresh our value proposition and stay ahead in a rapidly changing world."] - what advancements are there? why can't nuclear be used in singapore? is it public sentiment, their lack of education on nuclear? why do we need $5 billion top up to the Future Energy Fund? I assumed nuclear would be cheaper to purchase but expensive to procure, since it's efficient, i'd imagine the overall cost as an energy supply to be the lowest. Is the cost mainly building its structure to house nuclear and ensure safety for its waste? What is the Future Energy Fund?
source 5: 19/2/25 article
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source 6: 25/7/25 article
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