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  • Energy-Climate & Environment
23 August 2019

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  • Singapore

SINGAPORE —  A “50- to 100-year problem” was how Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong described the “grave threat” of rising sea levels to Singapore.

While a hundred years from now seems far away, Singapore has already started to feel the impact of climate change with hotter weather and heavier rainfall in recent years. Studies have also shown that Singapore could experience more extreme weather patterns as soon as 2050.

Indeed, steps are already underway to mitigate the impact of rising sea levels. For example, Singapore has introduced a carbon tax to nudge companies to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. It has also begun building infrastructure such as train stations on elevated ground.

More measures are in the pipeline. How much time does Singapore have to make sure that it is sufficiently ready? TODAY takes a closer look.

HOW WAS THIS TIMEFRAME DERIVED?

The 50- to 100-year timeline is based on the findings of a study by the Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS) in 2015, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) said.

This study used climate modelling technology to forecast the potential impact of climate change on Singapore, based on different scenarios of global greenhouse gas emissions.

For example, the study found that if greenhouse gas emissions stay high and continue to increase throughout the 21st century (let’s call this the “high emission scenario”), there will be a total rise of 0.45m to 1.02m in sea levels around Singapore by the year 2100.

If greenhouse gas emissions peak mid-century and then decline (let’s call this the “controlled emission scenario”), sea levels around Singapore will still rise, but not as much. The CCRS forecasts that under this scenario, they would rise between 0.3m and 0.74m by 2100.

These are its full forecasts for sea level rises by 2050 and 2100:

Year 2050 2100
Range of projection for sea-level rise Lower Median Upper Lower Median Upper
Controlled emission scenario 0.14 0.22 0.30 0.30 0.53 0.74
High emission scenario 0.17 0.25 0.32 0.45 0.73 1.02

The CCRS also noted that an earlier report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said global average sea levels are likely to rise between 0.45m and 0.82m from 2081 to 2100.
It gave this mildly reassuring statement: “Only the collapse of marine-based parts of the Antarctic ice sheet, leading to glacier acceleration and thinning, could cause global average sea level to rise substantially above this range during the 21st century, and while the risk of this is not precisely quantified, current research gives medium confidence that the additional sea level rise would not exceed a few tens of centimetres this century.”

Rates of sea level rise due to glacial melt and ice sheet melt are somewhat higher for Singapore than many other countries due to its position near the equator, the CCRS noted.

The response of different processes around the world to global temperature rise also means that estimates of average sea level rise for Singapore differ from the global average, the CCRS said.

Furthermore, there are local factors affecting sea level extremes, such as waves, surges and tides around the coasts of Singapore.

SO DOES THIS MEAN THINGS WILL ONLY GET SERIOUSLY BAD IN 50 TO 100 YEARS?

Actually, things are about to get rough pretty soon, if there is no action to stop climate change.

A recent study by Crowther Lab, a research group based at Swiss science and technology university ETH Zurich, found that Singapore would be one of several cities experiencing unprecedented climate shifts by 2050, with its temperatures rising by 1.3°C.

The study also found that a fifth of the world’s cities, including Singapore, will experience more intense dry and monsoon seasons. Singapore, being a tropical country, could also face more severe flooding and droughts.

The IPCC special report released last year called for countries to urgently cap the increase in average global temperatures to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, which is in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The special report found that at the current level of emissions, the world could pass the 1.5°C mark as early as 2030 and could rise another 2°C to 3°C if there is no sharp reduction in carbon emissions. The Paris Agreement stressed that any rise in temperatures beyond 2°C could see the worst effects of climate change.

The United Nations has described a devastating picture for the world if this happens, with more frequent very hot days in the tropics and the disappearance of most coral reefs. Rising sea levels could cause massive refugee flows from low-lying areas and major food security problems.

In a commentary for TODAY, Professor Benjamin Horton, the chair of the Asian School of the Environment at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), said that warming seawater and melting glaciers and ice sheets have accelerated the rise in sea levels.

Some studies had found that there is a one in 20 chance that sea levels in Singapore could rise in excess of 2.5m by the end of the century, significantly more than the 1m quoted by Mr Lee at the rally, he noted.

SO WHAT IS SINGAPORE DOING ABOUT IT NOW?

Singapore is already part of global efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

According to the IPCC, carbon pollution will need to be cut by 45 per cent by 2030 from 2010 levels and brought down to net zero by 2050 to ensure that average temperatures do not rise more than 1.5°C beyond pre-industrial levels.

The Paris Agreement, to which Singapore is a party, also stipulates that signatories come up with “concrete, realistic plans” to determine their national contributions to net zero emissions by 2050.

The Singapore Government has put in place several measures to meet the Paris goals. They include introducing a carbon tax of S$5 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions, which came into force this year. The Government plans to lift it to between S$10 and S$15 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Currently, Singapore contributes 0.11 per cent of global emissions.

WHAT ABOUT LONGER-TERM MEASURES?

To combat rising sea levels in the years ahead, the Government has been building infrastructure at higher levels, such as elevated entrances for MRT stations.

New developments are also required to be at least 4m above mean sea level, instead of 3m previously, while critical infrastructure such as Changi Airport Terminal 5 and Tuas Port will be built at least 5m above mean sea level.

There are also plans to build an additional pump house at Marina Barrage.

The other two options to protect Singapore’s coastal defences are to either build dykes and polders along the eastern coastline, or to reclaim a series of islands from Marina East to Changi and then connect them up with barrages to create a reservoir.

SHOULD SINGAPORE BE ACTING MORE QUICKLY?

While experts told TODAY said that Mr Lee’s announcements were “bold”, “timely” and “impressive”, they warned that 100 years may be too long a wait if sea levels rose higher and faster than current estimates.

Prof Horton said that if Singapore faced high rates of sea-level rise, polders would be expensive to maintain as they would need to be deeper.

He emphasised that any solution adopted by Singapore should first be accompanied by “robust accurate local projection” of rising sea levels, which he called one of the major challenges for science over the next decade.

“Singapore must invest in the science of sea-level rise before it spends up to S$100 billion on adaptation measures,” he said.

And if the science shows that sea-level rises are much higher and faster than the projected 1m by 2100, then the time to deal with the threat and implement adaptive measures will be “significantly shortened”.

A lead author of the IPCC’s upcoming sixth assessment report, Dr Winston Chow of the School of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University, concurred with Prof Horton.

He said that the effectiveness of the solutions proposed by the Government would depend on several factors such as estimates of the rise in sea levels for Singapore.

It would also depend on the costs and benefits involved in implementing and maintaining the proposed solutions, especially when sea levels will likely continue rising beyond a hundred years.

For Associate Professor Adam Switzer from the Asian School of the Environment at NTU, solutions to deal with rising sea levels would have to be in place as soon as possible.

“There is an urgency to this. Singapore already experiences nuisance flooding in some locations during the highest yearly tides or in combination with local storm surges,” said Assoc Prof Switzer, who specialises in geographical changes around coastal areas.

“These are bold plans and they will take time to put in place,” he said. “The longer we wait, the higher the cost will be.”
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/explainer-how-much-time-does-singapore-have-build-its-response-climate-change

  • Others
23 August 2019

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  • Malaysia

Malaysia is readying for the International Maritime Organization’s global sulfur limit rule for marine fuels and will have sufficient low sulfur fuel oil to meet upcoming demand as the IMO 2020 rule inches closer, Loke Siew Fook, Malaysia’s Transport Minister said during an industry event in the country this week.

“The new global sulfur cap represents a complete transformation in marine transport shipping companies to evaluate their compliance options based on economic and operational factors,” he said in a statement made available to S&P Global Platts Thursday.

Emerging reports indicate that over 95% of global shipping companies will utilize LSFO, he said.

Currently, the major Malaysian ports of Port Klang and Tanjung Pelepas supply about 4 million mt of marine fuels to ships calling these ports, he said.

“I would like to reassure our esteemed shipping lines that sufficient low sulfur fuel oil would be available to meet your demands [come 2020],” he said.

With about 5 million mt of storage and blending facilities in Westports Bunkering Services in Port Klang, Vitol in Tanjung Bin and Port of Tanjung Langsat in Johor, sufficient supplies will be made available to meet immediate demand, he said.

Approved ship-to-ship activities in Tanjung Pelepas, Malacca and Kuala Linggi are expected to supplement any additional demands for LSFO in the shipping industry, he added.

The IMO will cap global sulfur content in marine fuels at 0.5% from January 1, 2020, down from the current 3.5%. This applies outside the designated emission control areas where the limit is already 0.1%.

Ship owners will have to either burn cleaner, more expensive fuels or install scrubber units for burning high sulfur fuel oil.

OTHER INITIATIVES

Meanwhile, Malaysia is also undertaking several other initiatives to enhance its bunkering landscape.

The Malaysian Shipping and Ports Council is progressing measures including identification of issues related to bunker demand and supply, licensing of service providers, integrity aspects including the quality and quantity of the fuel, competency of personnel in the bunkering industry as well as construction and operational standards of bunker vessels, he said.

Initiatives such as the use of mass flow meters on board bunker vessels, training and licensing of bunker surveyors, determination of fuel standards, establishment of bunker fuel testing labs within port areas and appointment of a sole competent authority to oversee the bunkering industry will also be given vital consideration, he added.

Mass flow meters, or MFMs, measure the flow rate in the pipe, indicating the quantity as well as the mass and density of the fuel.

Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering port, first implemented the MFMs mandate for fuel oil deliveries starting January 1, 2017. From July 1, 2019 it extended the MFMs mandate to distillate bunker deliveries as well, ushering more transparency and efficiency in operations for its bunker industry.

  • Energy Efficiency
23 August 2019

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  • Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: PLUS Malaysia Bhd’s headquarters Persada PLUS has bagged a One Diamond award from Malaysia Sustainable Energy Development Authority’s (SEDA) 2018 Low Carbon Buildings Assessment recently.

PLUS became the first highway concessionaire in the country to receive such award.

The company said the recognition was given to organisations which have successfully implemented electricity consumption exercises via renewable energy and reduced carbon dioxide emission to preserve environment.

All buildings were judged and selected based on their annual carbon dioxide emissions reduction percentage which leads to electricity energy consumption.

In 2018, PLUS said it had reduced carbon dioxide emission of 6.75 per cent, equivalent to 286.78 tonnes of carbon dioxide and an energy savings of 413,228 kWh at Persada PLUS through the installation of Variable Speed Drive (VSD) for air conditioning systems.

Others include reducing the usage time of air conditioning systems, developing solar photovoltaic technology, implementing de-lamping (reducing/ relocate the use of fluorescent lamps in adequate lighting locations and lighting not required) and installing motion sensor lighting system in toilets and prayer rooms.

Managing director Datuk Azman Ismail said this is yet another milestone for PLUS in its efforts to optimise the use of Green Technology in preserving the environment for the firm’s staff and the surrounding communities.

“Our RoadMap will also see PLUS introducing solar photovoltaic panels as other rest areas such as the Sungai Buloh overhead bridge restaurant, Ayer Keroh overhead bridge restaurant, Dengkil R&R (both bounds), Gurun R&R (both bounds), Gunung Semanggol R&R (southbound), Tapah R&R (both bounds) and Ayer Keroh R&R (northbound) within the next five years,” he said in a statement.

The PLUS Green RoadMap started when PLUS launched the first solar-powered electric vehicle charging station in the country at the Ayer Keroh overhead bridge restaurant (southbound) in December 2018 and transformed the Machap (northbound) R&R as the first R&R in Malaysia to use photovoltaic solar system in April this year.

  • Oil & Gas
23 August 2019

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  • Malaysia

SINGAPORE/BEIJING, Aug 25 (Reuters) – China’s crude oil imports from Malaysia stood near record levels in July, customs data showed, with traders and a tanker-tracking analyst citing oil either transshipped from Venezuela or blended with Venezuelan crude for the unusual growth.

Crude imports from Malaysia rose to 1.35 million tonnes last month, more than double from a year earlier, data from China’s General Administration of Customs showed on Sunday.

That was just below the previous record set in May of 1.38 million tonnes, triple the average monthly volume in the first four months of 2019.

Imports for the first seven months of 2019 totalled 5.64 million tonnes, versus 5.17 million tonnes a year earlier.

Emma Li, analyst with Refinitiv Oil Research, estimated that about 500,000 tonnes of the Malaysian supplies arriving in July were transshipped from Venezuelan crude supplied by Russian state oil firm Rosneft.

The growing supplies of Venezuela-originated oil come after the Russian firm stepped in as the top trader of Venezuelan crude as traditional dealers like Vitol and Trafigura avoided dealing directly with Venezuelan state firm PDVSA for fear of breaching secondary U.S. sanctions.

Venezuelan crude, mainly heavy grade Merey, was either blended or moved into other vessels at Malaysia’s transshipment hub of Linggi and Tianjung Bruas, and renamed in new grades such as Singma and Mal Blend, according to Refinitiv Oil Research.

Rosneft did not respond to a Reuters’ request for comment.

Most of these cargoes found a home in east China’s Shandong province, a hub for China’s independent refineries, as well as the port of Tianijn in north China.

“About four to five refineries in Shandong have been taking Malaysian blends which look like Venezuelan oil with similar specifications,” said an executive with one Shandong independent refiner.

Prior to May, China’s imports of Malaysian crude were mostly of one grade, Nemina, blended from West African crudes, and went to primarily one buyer, state trader ChemChina, according to Refinitiv’s Li.

Only a fraction of Malaysia’s locally produced crude oil, which typically is light and of lower sulphur content and thus more pricey, moves to China.

The surge in Malaysian exports contrasted with a fall in total crude oil production by its dominant oil and gas producer Petronas, which recorded a 1.3% drop year-on-year to 2.4 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day in the first quarter.

Petronas did not give its output in Malaysia.

  • Renewables
23 August 2019

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  • Vietnam

ABOITIZ Power Corp. said Friday that a unit signed a deal to buy for around $46 million a Vietnamese company with a 39.4-megawatt (MW) onshore wind power facility.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange, AboitizPower said a share purchase agreement was signed by its wholly owned subsidiary AboitizPower International Pte. Ltd., which will buy 100% of Mekong Wind Pte. Ltd. from Armstrong Southeast Asia Clean Energy Fund Pte. Ltd.

“This transaction is a milestone for AboitizPower and sets the tone for our expansion in the international market. We announced our intention to go international some time back and we have been prudent in looking for the right opportunity that will bring the best value for the company and our shareholders. This is such a transaction,” AboitizPower President and Chief Executive Officer Erramon I. Aboitiz said in a statement.

The deal is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter, the company said.

“We are excited for this opportunity not only to expand beyond the Philippines but to also bring our experience in the power generation sector, especially in the renewable energy space, to Vietnam,” AboitizPower Chief Operating Officer Emmanuel V. Rubio said in a statement.

“We are proud of what we have done with our Cleanergy brand in the Philippines and we will bring the same level of expertise and dedication to the Vietnam market,” he added.

The acquisition captures all legal and economic interest in Mekong Wind, which in turn holds a 99.9999934% direct interest in Dam Nai Wind Power JSC. The price may be subject to certain closing adjustments.

Dam Nai Wind owns and operates the onshore wind power facility in Ninh Thuan Province, in southern Vietnam. The province boasts some of the most attractive sites for wind energy in the country.

“Dam Nai Wind is one of the first wind power projects in Vietnam to have been successfully brought online with commercial operations having commenced in late 2017,” AboitizPower said.

The company, along with partners, generates around 1,200 MW of clean and renewable energy from its portfolio of hydro, geothermal, and solar power plants under its Cleanergy brand.

It said the deal in Vietnam builds on its investments “in the rapid growth of renewable energy and marks its entry into one of Asia’s most attractive markets.”

AboitizPower described Vietnam as having robust economic growth backed by strong government support, which it said creates an attractive environment to increase its commitment and contribution to energy supply security in Southeast Asia.

The company also has thermal power plants in its generation portfolio to support the baseload and peak energy demand in the Philippines. It owns distribution utilities that operate in growth areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

On Friday, AboitizPower rose 1.67% to close at P36.60

  • Renewables
23 August 2019

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  • Vietnam

With limitless potential, solar power is expected to become the solution for Vietnam to ease reliance on fossil fuel. However, after four years of mass deployment, many problems have arisen, including environmental risks.

Vietnam has large multi-million dollar projects, including the 300 MW Tata Power in Ha Tinh, 100-200 MW Hanwha in Thua Thien-Hue, and GT & Accessories and 150 MW Mashalll & Street Ltd in Quang Nam province.

In the first half of 2018 alone, MOIT reported 272 solar power projects with total capacity of 17,500 MW, nine times higher than Hoa Binh and seven times that of Son La hydropower plants.

Experts have warned of technical and environmental problems when developing solar power plants.

Solar power is considered clean and friendly because it does not cause an impact on the climate. However, scientists warned that HF acid solution for surface cleaning of solar panels for better light reception is poisonous.

Solar power is considered clean and friendly because it does not cause an impact on the climate. However, scientists warned that HF acid solution for surface cleaning of solar panels for better light reception is poisonous.

The poison, when contacting people who do not wear protective equipment, can destroy tissues and reduce calcium in the bones.

The solution applied by many manufacturers is to replace HF Acid with NaOH. NaOH is a skin corrosion agent but is still easier to handle and waste than HF.

The input material for making solar panels is quartz (silica SiO2 silicon). Quartz is heat treated to refine pure silicon (this step emits CO2 and SO2). The silicon is then further refined with chemicals (hydrochloric acid HCl) to produce polycrystalline silicon blocks and highly toxic SiCl4 waste compounds.

It is more costly to collect silicon from SiCl4 than refining silicon from quartz, but it is not commonly used because the re-processing equipment is worth up to tens of millions of dollars.

Meanwhile, if it is released into the environment, it would cause soil and water source acidification.

Therefore, there must be strict regulations on the storage and treatment of SiCl4 waste.
The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has found methods to make polysilicon from ethanol instead of chlorine-containing chemicals, thus completely avoiding the creation of SiCl4.

Another problem that scientists have warned of is the slow development of infrastructure.

In the first half of 2019, the National Power System Coordination Center (A0) recorded the unprecedented number of 90 solar power plants becoming operational. Meanwhile, only 3 power plants successfully connected to the national grid in 2018.

The inconsistency between solar power development and supporting infrastructure has affected the solar power development plan as it has caused overloading to the national grid.

  • Bioenergy
23 August 2019

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  • Cambodia

The Ministry of Economic and Finance on Tuesday announced it is looking at processes of turning waste into energy as a partial solution to the country’s alarming levels of waste production.

For in depth analysis of Cambodian Business, visit Capital Cambodia
.

In a meeting Tuesday officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Environment discussed solid waste management.

The officials agreed on several action plans, including drafting a strategy and a national policy to tackle waste management and doing more to enforce existing regulation.

The ministries also agreed to organise a campaign to raise public awareness on the issue, according to a statement issued after the meeting.

Exploring ways of turning trash into energy was one of the main discussion points, according to the statement.

“The country’s robust economic development coupled with a rapidly growing population means the amount of waste generated in urban centres, particularly Phnom Penh, is growing dramatically,” the ministry said.

Aun Porn Moniroth
Aun Pornmoniroth, the Minister of Economy and Finance, speaks at Digital Cambodia 2019. KT/Mai Vireak

Phnom Penh produces about 2,800 tonnes of garbage per day, with the amount of garbage generated every year growing at a rate of 10 to 13 percent, the ministry noted. “This figure is expected to continue growing unless effective measures are put in place.”

Prime Minister Hun Sen early this month encouraged citizens and private companies to use waste to generate electricity in a bid to protect the environment.

The premier suggested that companies be incentivised to turn waste into energy to avoid power shortages like the one Cambodia suffered earlier this year.

“But we will not import waste,” Mr Hun Sen said, noting that importing waste is illegal even if the aim is to turn it into energy.

  • Energy Cooperation
23 August 2019

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  • Thailand

The Ministry of Energy is organising “AMEM 2019” (ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting and Associated Meetings) on 2-6 September 2019 at The Athenee Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok.

The official opening ceremony will be held on 4 September by the Prime Minister. The event will involve discussions on effective energy management and energy stability for the ASEAN region under the concept of “Advancing Energy Transition Through Partnership and Innovation” in order to sustainably cultivate energy innovation, economy, and standard of living among ASEAN citizens.

Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong revealed: “The meeting shows Thailand’s role on the international stage in driving energy stability and sustainable development with ASEAN countries. It will enhance Thailand’s image as an energy centre in ASEAN and help achieve national energy strategy, leading to investment and innovation development. This is in accordance with ASEAN Plan of Action on Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016-2025 Phase 1 (2016-2020), which includes important issues such as the multilateral electricity purchase between Thailand, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Malaysia, which will develop to other countries as well, and the mutual standardisation of ASEAN energy efficiency, including: lighting and air-conditioning system; energy reduction by 20 per cent by 2020; a shift to alternative energy by 23 per cent by 2020; ASEAN energy database improvement to global standard by 2020; clean coal technology promotion for good image, and; nuclear energy potential development in terms of technique control and safety.”

Participating in this meeting are ministers and high-ranking officials from 10 ASEAN countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, eight partner countries, namely China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, India, New Zealand, the United States of America, and Russia, and six international energy organisations, namely IEA, IRENA, ASEC, ACE, HAPUA, and ASCOPE).

A senior official meeting to prepare ASEAN energy ministers will take place on 2-3 September 2019. The ASEAN energy ministers meeting will take place on 4-5 September 2019.

The ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF) will take place on 2-5 September 2019 alongside the main meeting, featuring an exhibition on energy, technology and innovation by corporate and academic institutions, and a workshop on related topics. The Ministry of Energy has adopted the main theme of “Renewable Energy Innovation Week” and will host the ASEAN Energy Awards 2019.

Throughout 2-5 September 2019, bilateral discussions between ASEAN and partner countries will also be held in which the Ministry will facilitate negotiations between energy ministers and senior officials.

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