Tan See Leng on possible geothermal energy sources in Singapore

Singapore does not have sufficient near-surface underground resources, such as underground hot water or steam to deploy conventional geothermal systems. However, with the newer developments in geothermal technology, there is potential to harness heat that is deep underground for power generation. Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng, who said this in reply to an MP’s questions in Parliament on Wednesday (Aug 2), noted the findings by researchers from Nanyang Technological University of heat deep underground that could be sufficient for electricity generation. He said these new geothermal technologies that can harness heat at such great depths have yet to be commercially deployed. Therefore, there are no immediate plans for geothermal energy production in Singapore, he said. Dr Tan said to holistically assess Singapore's geothermal potential, the Energy Market Authority will be launching a tender later this year to conduct a geophysical survey across the country. The survey will take a few years to complete and will provide additional data to help in the assessment of geothermal energy as a potential source of renewable energy, he added.