‘Hydrogen has too many technical and commercial uncertainties for us to invest in infrastructure at scale’

A senior minister in the government of Singapore — which recently became the first country to refuel a ship powered by green hydrogen-powered ammonia — has warned that the “technical and commercial uncertainties” surrounding low-carbon hydrogen are too great for the country to consider significantly scaling up its H₂ adoption programme.

In response to a written question from a member of parliament asking about the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s plans to build or adapt pipelines for international hydrogen transport and storage, minister for trade and industry Gan Kim Yong said that his department had no such intention.

“Government is studying several potential pathways for Singapore to adopt low-carbon hydrogen,” said Gan in his written answer. “There are no immediate plans to construct hydrogen pipelines or storage facilities at scale in Singapore.

“Given the technological and commercial uncertainties surrounding the development of a global hydrogen supply chain, we are taking a cautious approach towards hydrogen adoption and will pace our infrastructural investments accordingly.”

Singapore recently played host to the Fortescue Green Pioneer, a vessel that last month carried out the world’s first ever ammonia-powered voyage, fuelled with three tonnes of hydrogen-derived NH3 delivered at Vopak’s Banyan terminal on the city-state’s Jurong Island.

The delivery and voyage was only made possible because the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore allowed the handling and storage of the ammonia — a highly hazardous substance that has so far been shunned by most port authorities — after weeks of testing.

In fact, Singapore appears to be focusing predominantly on maritime imports of hydrogen derivatives for the time being, with the intention of using ammonia in its power plants, and trialling ammonia bunkering as part of its so-called “ammonia pathfinder project”.

“Our current priority is to gain experience in the import, storage, distribution and handling of hydrogen and its carriers, through our ammonia pathfinder project,” Gan explained in his written answer. “We expect the pathfinder project to be implemented in 2028.”

In 2022, Japanese giants JERA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) announced plans to build a 60MW demonstration power plant in Jurong, that would burn 100% ammonia, while infrastructure conglomerate Keppel has also signed an MOU with MHI to develop a second 100% ammonia-fired power plant in Singapore.

Keppel is meanwhile building a gas-fired power plant in Jurong, which it says will be able to burn 30% hydrogen once it is commissioned in 2026.