About 20 ha of land on Jurong Island have been set aside for the development of Singapore’s largest data centre park, with the potential to accommodate up to 700 megawatts (MW) of power capacity for data centres.
Dr Tan See Leng, minister-in-charge of energy, science and technology, announced this at the start of Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2025 on Oct 27.
Operators can leverage the island’s ecosystem, such as shared energy storage infrastructure and utilities, ample power capacity as well as “emerging low-carbon energy sources”, according to JTC and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).
This is in line with the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA) 2024 Green Data Centre Roadmap, which was introduced for the continued growth of the digital economy in tandem with sustainability. New data centres will be required to meet efficiency standards, adopt advanced cooling systems and tap renewable energy sources.
The 2024 Roadmap builds on the Digital Connectivity Blueprint, which was launched in June 2023 and aims to provide at least 300MW of additional capacity in the near term.
As at mid-2024, Singapore’s data centre capacity is around 1.4 gigawatts (GW); the nation’s operational capacity crossed 1,000 megawatts (MW) earlier this year.
See also: ‘Expect to see some churn’ as oil and gas firms ‘right-size’ operations: EDB
Jurong Island turns 25
Jurong Island, the cornerstone of Singapore’s Energy and Chemicals (E&C) industry, marks its 25th anniversary this year. E&C is the second-largest sector in Singapore’s manufacturing industry, accounting for around 3% of Singapore’s GDP and about one quarter of manufacturing output in 2024.
Jurong Island is home to over 100 global energy and chemicals companies such as ExxonMobil, BASF, Chevron Oronite, Mitsui Chemicals and Sumitomo. Together, Singapore’s E&C sector provides employment for more than 27,000 workers.
In 2021, the Sustainable Jurong Island plan was launched to transform the island into a sustainable E&C hub and strengthen the sector’s long-term competitiveness.
The plan has driven an increase in the E&C sector’s output of sustainable products by 1.4 times since 2019, putting Singapore on track to achieve a 1.5 times increase by 2030.
For example, ExxonMobil’s Singapore Resid Upgrade Project will enable the refinery to increase production of cleaner fuels and convert fuel oil and other bottom-of-the-barrel crude products into higher-value lube base stocks and distillates.
In addition, to meet the target of realising at least 2 million tonnes of carbon capture by 2030, the government formalised a partnership with S-Hub — a consortium of Shell and ExxonMobil — to study the viability of developing a cross-border carbon capture and storage (CCS) project from Singapore.
When fully developed, the project will be capable of capturing and storing at least 2.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.
Since 2021, EDB has awarded 35 projects from the industry with the Resource Efficiency Grant for Emissions (REG(E)) grant. This scheme provides funding to companies for innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve resource efficiency.
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Projects that received grants span explorations into energy efficiency and new decarbonisation pathways such as alternative fuels, wastewater biotreatment, and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), with many of them taking place on Jurong Island.
Projects from companies such as Evonik, ExxonMobil, Linde and Air Liquide are expected to abate more than 340 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide when completed, equivalent to taking 80,000 cars off the road.
Low-carbon innovation
As the global energy and chemicals industry shifts towards a greener future, Jurong Island is pivoting to serve growing demand for decarbonisation solutions, specialty chemicals, sustainable materials, circular feedstocks, and new energies.
EDB and JTC will focus on two areas to develop Jurong Island’s global ambitions.
First, they envision Jurong Island becoming a vibrant hub for specialty chemicals and sustainable materials.
EDB notes increasing interest from specialty chemicals players to grow their presence in Singapore. Since 2021, there have been over 30 new specialty chemicals projects across manufacturing and R&D from global companies such as Arkema, Cariflex and Kuraray, with many located on Jurong Island.
When fully realised, these investments are expected to create more than 1,000 jobs, across roles in manufacturing operations, R&D and innovation, process engineering, sustainability, and corporate functions for both fresh graduates and experienced hires, according to EDB.
In addition, specialty chemicals are expected to drive value-added growth in the chemicals industry, with an average compound annual growth rate (Cagr) of around 4%-5% compared to overall chemicals’ CAGR of between 2.5%-3.5% from 2025 to 2030.
This growth is fuelled by an expanding middle class in Asia, spurring demand for higher-quality products across consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, electronics and advanced materials. Sustainability goals worldwide are also driving demand for innovative solutions such as bio-based polymers, low-carbon coatings and green solvents, according to EDB.
Second, EDB and JTC believe Jurong Island will be a global testbed for new energies and low-carbon technologies.
Close to 300 ha of land on Jurong Island has been set aside for the development of new energy solutions, such as PacificLight Power’s two combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs).
Since 2024, all new and repowered natural gas power plants are required to be at least 30% hydrogen-compatible by volume. This means that the plants can burn at least 30% hydrogen, a cleaner fuel, with natural gas making up the rest, to generate electricity.
By 2030, Jurong Island will be home to two 50MW plants (Fast Start) by PacificLight Power (commissioned in 2025), two 340MW open cycle gas turbines (OCGT) by Meranti Power (2025), a 600MW CCGT plant by Keppel Sakra Cogen (2026), a 600MW CCGT plant by Sembcorp Cogen (2026), a 600MW CCGT plant by YTL PowerSeraya (2027) and another 670MW CCGT plant by PacificLight Power (2029).
Sembcorp Solar Singapore operates the island’s largest solar deployment with a solar capacity of 118 megawatt-peak (MWp), equivalent to powering over approximately 33,200 four-room HDB flats annually.
Companies are using Jurong Island to pilot next-generation fuels such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), hydrogen and ammonia, with access to shared pipelines, storage and facilities that reduce cost and complexity.
This year, Tokyo-listed IHI Corporation and A*Star announced the launch of a bench-scale production test rig to produce SAF from hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
Earlier this month, EMA and the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore appointed a consortium led by Keppel to explore low- or zero-carbon ammonia solutions on Jurong Island for power generation and bunkering.
Batteries will also be critical for grid reliability. Sembcorp Industries currently operates Singapore’s largest utility-scale Energy Storage System (ESS) with a 326 megawatt-hour (MWh) storage capacity on Jurong Island.
Under the Jurong Island Renewable Energy request for proposal (RFP) by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and JTC, Advario Asia Pacific and local start-up VFlowTech will explore scaling a vanadium redox flow battery to 40MWh, equivalent to powering over 3,000 four-room HDB flats daily.
Meanwhile, low-carbon solutions from CCUS, electrification and energy efficiency to circular plastics are being piloted and scaled across Jurong Island.
To support this, the government continues to invest in sustainable infrastructure and capabilities. Earlier this year, A*Star announced that it will be opening a $62.5 million Low Carbon Technology Translational Testbed (LCT3) on Jurong Island. This will offer companies cost-effective, modular test-bedding of emerging low carbon technologies that can be scaled up for commercial development.
Companies such as CRecTech, FlueVault, Metha8 and Turnover Labs have since expressed interest in tapping on this new facility to scale their solutions.
The government has also committed more than $180 million to the Low Carbon Energy Research (LCER) programme to advance low-carbon technologies across sectors.
“Jurong Island has grown into a leading regional hub for energy and chemicals through its strong infrastructure and tightly connected ecosystem,” says Jacqueline Poh, CEO of JTC. “Now is the time for bold steps to transform it into a centre for new energies and low-carbon innovation — strengthening infrastructure, deepening industry collaboration, building sustainable solutions to power Singapore’s next phase of growth. We welcome companies to join us in shaping this exciting next chapter together.”
Jermaine Loy, managing director at EDB, says Jurong Island’s ongoing transformation will support global energy and chemicals players here to be more innovative and sustainable. “Energy and chemicals remains a key plank of our diversified manufacturing sector and we welcome more forward-thinking companies to partner us in advancing sustainable solutions, low-carbon technologies and green manufacturing to shape the next chapter of growth for Singapore and the region.”
