Operational efficiency is often the most immediate opportunity for emission reductions. By optimising processes and minimising waste, industries can unlock significant environmental and economic benefits.

Optimising Operations for Circularity: HealthCity Novena in Singapore exemplifies operational efficiency and circularity through its holistic approach to healthcare infrastructure development. As part of its Net Zero Roadmap, the project incorporates strategies to optimise resource use and energy efficiency:

• Energy Demand Optimisation: Forecasting energy requirements for existing and new buildings until 2050, ensuring energy systems are right-sized and future-ready.
• Circular Energy Solutions: Integrating renewable energy sources, such as solar and exploring hydrogen-based trigeneration systems to create a closed-loop energy ecosystem.
• Energy Storage for Efficiency: Deploying battery energy storage systems to smooth power demands, reduce thermal loads, and minimise energy wastage.
• Repurposing and Retrofitting: Evaluating demolition and new construction needs to ensure minimal waste generation and maximising the reuse of materials wherever possible.

By focusing on long-term energy forecasting and maximising renewable energy penetration, HealthCity Novena demonstrates how operational efficiency, and circular principles can align to achieve sustainability while meeting the growing demands of healthcare services. This project sets a benchmark for integrated developments worldwide, showcasing how to balance efficiency, circularity, and sustainability goals.

Enhancing operational efficiency enables industries to significantly reduce energy consumption and fuel usage across various sectors. This involves not only improving end-use efficiency but also maximising the generation efficiency of energy assets. By reassessing and optimising existing energy systems, higher performance and sustainability can be achieved.

In the Philippines, a client is optimising operations across a diverse portfolio of renewable energy assets, including a 100 MW solar plant, a 300 MW wind power plant, and a 110 MW geothermal plant serving as a baseload source. The optimisation process focuses on reducing energy losses, such as minimising solar clipping, and ensuring the geothermal plant operates efficiently at its minimum load ratio when necessary. Through this sophisticated optimisation approach, the client is able to generate electricity at the lowest possible cost while reducing operational carbon emissions. The results demonstrate the readiness of these energy assets to reliably meet a 100 MW power purchase agreement (PPA), paving the way for sustainable and cost-effective energy generation.

The shift from coal to natural gas is crucial for immediate emissions reductions. Natural gas produces significantly less CO2 than coal and serves as an effective bridge toward adopting more sustainable energy sources.  

Sustainable Power Shift:  Our team has been actively designing and implementing low-carbon energy solutions to help companies reduce their reliance on coal for power generation. One of our groundbreaking initiatives explores the feasibility of the world’s first-of-its-kind floating data centre with onsite 100 MW power generation capabilities, where LNG (liquefied natural gas) is regasified and fed into the power plant to generate electricity. This transition to LNG serves as a critical stepping stone toward integrating ammonia and hydrogen as alternative fuels in the future.

• Fuel Flexibility of Gas-Fired Power Plants: Modern gas turbines used in LNG-based power generation can often be retrofitted to co-fire or fully transition to alternative fuels such as ammonia or hydrogen. This capability makes the infrastructure future-ready as these fuels become more commercially viable.
• Ammonia as a Carrier for Hydrogen: Ammonia is an efficient hydrogen carrier. It can be cracked to release hydrogen or burned directly in advanced gas turbines. By starting with LNG infrastructure, operators can explore pathways to blend ammonia into the fuel mix, gradually reducing carbon emissions further.
• Regasification Infrastructure Compatibility: The existing LNG regasification infrastructure can be adapted for alternative fuels. For instance, ammonia and hydrogen regasification processes, while different, share technological similarities that can leverage the foundation laid by LNG systems.
• Paving the Way for a Low-Carbon Future: The adoption of LNG enables immediate emissions reductions compared to coal. At the same time, it sets up the necessary infrastructure and technical know-how to transition to zero-carbon fuels like hydrogen and ammonia as they become scalable and cost-effective in the coming years.

By investing in LNG now, this project not only reduces emissions in the short term but also future-proofs the power plant, facilitating a seamless transition to next-generation, low-carbon energy solutions.

Developing low carbon utilities is essential for generating clean energy.  This involves seamlessly integrating renewable energy sources into existing power systems to create more sustainable operations.

Floating Solar:  In Indonesia, a transformative project is using floating solar panels combined with battery storage to develop a microgrid for a mining company. This strategic approach has reduced the number of active diesel generators, significantly cutting reliance on fossil fuels. The integration of renewable energy and storage now supplies over 10 GWh of clean energy annually, offsetting the energy otherwise generated by diesel generators. As a result, the project has successfully reduced the company’s carbon emissions by approximately 8,000 tons annually, marking a substantial step toward de-dieselisation and a cleaner operational footprint.

Micro-wind turbines: The transition to low carbon utilities is vital for driving clean energy generation and fostering sustainable operations. On Jurong Island, Singapore, the SolarLand 1 Extension exemplifies this by integrating renewable energy technologies into the existing grid. With an installed PV capacity of 11.8 MWp, the project generates 14.6 GWh of clean energy annually, enough to power 3,200 households, while reducing 6,000 tons of CO₂ emissions each year. Innovative features, such as fence-integrated solar panels and micro-wind turbines, optimise energy production in Singapore’s low-wind environment. This scalable and innovative project demonstrates how renewable energy solutions can significantly reduce reliance on fossil fuels and contribute to a greener future.

Geothermal: The Kamojang Geothermal Power Plant in West Java, Indonesia, stands as a pioneering force in the nation’s renewable energy sector. Established in 1983, it was Indonesia’s first commercial geothermal facility and has since expanded to an installed capacity of 235 MW across five units. This capacity enables the plant to supply electricity to approximately 260,000 households, significantly contributing to the region’s energy needs. Beyond its energy production, the Kamojang facility plays a crucial role in environmental conservation. By harnessing geothermal energy, it prevents the emission of around 1.2 million tons of CO₂ equivalent annually, marking a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. This achievement underscores the plant’s alignment with global sustainability goals and Indonesia’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. In addition to its core operations, the Kamojang area features a Geothermal Information Centre (GIC), serving as an educational hub for the community and schools in West Java. This centre fosters greater public understanding of geothermal energy and its benefits, supporting broader adoption of renewable energy technologies. Overall, the Kamojang Geothermal Power Plant exemplifies how strategic investment in renewable energy infrastructure can drive economic growth, ensure energy security, and contribute to environmental sustainability.

The production and utilisation of low carbon fuels are rapidly evolving, especially in transportation sectors such as aviation and maritime, as they seek to reduce emissions and embrace sustainability 

Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs):  We are overseeing the construction of world-scale sustainable and biofuels production complexes in Singapore and Malaysia. These facilities are pivotal in supporting the aviation sector’s shift to low carbon operations, providing cleaner fuel alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while meeting the growing demand for sustainable air travel.

The impact of these projects is substantial, with facilities like Singapore’s Tuas plant capable of producing up to 1 million tonnes of SAF annually, significantly boosting regional sustainable fuel production. The adoption of SAFs can lead to a reduction of up to 80% in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional fossil fuels, aiding airlines in meeting carbon reduction targets and aligning with global sustainability initiatives. Additionally, these projects promote the use of renewable feedstocks, support economic growth through job creation, and position Singapore and Malaysia as leaders in sustainable fuel technology within the Asia-Pacific region.

CCUS technologies are pivotal for capturing emissions from industrial processes and repurposing them into valuable resources, paving the way for a sustainable industrial future. In collaboration with various stakeholders, pilot projects are advancing the use of diverse carbon capture technologies and exploring utilisation pathways to produce materials like low-carbon concrete. These initiatives showcase innovative approaches to mitigating industrial emissions while advancing construction practices.

Low Carbon Technology Industry Consortium: In collaboration with industry leaders such as Keppel Data Centres, Chevron, Pavilion Energy, Osaka Gas, Air Liquide, Daigas and Pan-United Corporation, and with support from Singapore’s National Research Foundation, Surbana Jurong is exploring lower carbon opportunities with the aim of commercialisation in Singapore. The consortium is focused to develop a highly integrated CCUS and lower carbon hydrogen value chain including carbon capture, its storage/sequestration, infrastructure, regulations, standards and financing.

Innovative Use of Waste Materials: Surbana Jurong is exploring the conversion of waste materials, such as marine clay and incineration bottom ash, into low-carbon construction materials and sorbents for carbon capture processes. For instance, marine clay, often generated during land reclamation, can be transformed into low-carbon concrete, while incineration bottom ash has the potential to serve as an absorbent material in carbon capture applications. These initiatives exemplify a circular economy approach, turning waste into valuable resources and contributing to carbon footprint reduction in industrial sectors supporting Singapore’s commitment to reduce emissions intensity by 36% from 2005 levels by 2030.

Nature-based solutions leverage natural processes to enhance carbon sequestration, restore ecosystems, and support biodiversity.

Blue Carbon Initiatives:  In Singapore, we are actively involved in BlueCarbonSG project which is focused towards creating Singapore’s first Blue Carbon Accounting Framework. This framework will be the foundation for incorporating blue carbon into Singapore’s Nationally Determined Contributions, helping the country meet its medium- and long-term climate goals. This project will help to quantify Singapore’s blue carbon potential which can contribute to addressing the climate change targets. This initiative highlights the critical role these blue carbon ecosystems play in carbon storage and are a potential nature-based climate solution for generating carbon credits while simultaneously supporting decarbonisation efforts and preserving local ecosystems. By leveraging the natural ability of blue carbon ecosystems to sequester carbon, they provide a dual benefit — combating climate change and fostering biodiversity. The official website of the project is Home | BlueCarbonSG.

Coastal Protection with Mangroves: In Singapore, Surbana Jurong’s Coastal Engineering team collaborated with the National Parks Board (NParks) from 2017 to 2022 to design and implement coastal erosion protection measures at five coastal parks, including Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and East Coast Park. The project integrated nature-based elements, such as mangroves, with engineering solutions to rehabilitate shorelines and protect against erosion, thereby preserving local ecosystems and enhancing biodiversity.

Mangrove ecosystems are highly effective in carbon sequestration, with an estimated rate of 6 to 8 tonnes of CO₂ per hectare annually, and total carbon storage ranging from 900 to 1,100 tonnes of CO₂ per hectare in their biomass and soils. In Singapore, mangroves occupy less than 1% of the land area but store approximately 450,571 tonnes of carbon, accounting for about 3.7% of the nation’s carbon emissions in 2010. By incorporating mangroves into coastal protection projects, Surbana Jurong not only mitigates coastal erosion but also contributes to significant carbon sequestration, supporting climate change mitigation efforts and promoting sustainable development.

In addition, Surbana Jurong was appointed by Singapore’s national water agency, PUB, to conduct a coastal protection study of the north-west shores, covering a 24km stretch from Tuas Checkpoint to Lim Chu Kang jetty. The study focuses on assessing flood risks from rising sea levels and exploring hybrid solutions that combine hard engineering measures with nature-based elements, including mangroves, to enhance coastal resilience and support biodiversity.

Promoting behavioural change within organisations is crucial for achieving long-term sustainability and embedding environmentally conscious practices into daily operations.

Electric Vehicle Adoption:  establishing Southeast Asia’s largest public electric vehicle (EV) charging hub at its new global headquarters, the Surbana Jurong Campus, located in the Jurong Innovation District, Singapore. This initiative aims to accommodate up to 250 EVs simultaneously, encouraging employees and the public to transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to more sustainable electric alternatives, thereby fostering a culture of eco-friendly mobility.

Integrated Industrial Park Planning: The LIMA Estate in Batangas, Philippines is a thriving Industrial township home to 183 industries and over 74,000 people. This sustainable industrial ecosystem integrates production facilities, warehouses, and distribution centres with residential spaces in a single, well-designed area. The strategic layout minimises the need for long-distance freight movement and promotes the use of electric or low-emission vehicles for internal logistics, reducing transport emissions and supporting sustainable industrial behaviour.

Green Building Practices: Surbana Jurong designed the National University of Singapore’s School of Design & Environment 4 (SDE4), the country’s first new-build net-zero energy building. The building features over 1,200 solar photovoltaic panels, a hybrid cooling system, and design elements that maximise natural ventilation and lighting. These sustainable features encourage occupants to adopt energy-efficient operations and daily habits, promoting environmentally conscious behaviour within the academic community.