Keppel agrees Singapore gasification facility

KEPPEL Infrastructure has signed an agreement to develop, own and operate a state-of-the-art gasification facility on Jurong Island, Singapore.

The agreement, made with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), marks an important step in preparation for the final investment decision, which will be taken at a later date.

The facility, now in its project development phase, should be well-positioned to meet anticipated demands of Singapore's refining and chemicals industries. Hydrogen, carbon monoxide, syngas and other industrial gases will be produced from a variety of potential feedstock, including coal and refinery by-products. The site is also planned to benefit from energy efficiency and R&D projects.

The agreement comes ahead of a global sulphur cap announced by the International Maritime Organisation's Marine Environment Protection Committee. The cap requires all ships to use fuels with a maximum 0.5% sulphur content by 1 January 2020, meaning there will be increased demand for hydrogen.

Damian Chan, executive director for energy and chemicals at EDB, said: 'We explored alternative feedstock options to enhance the long-term competitiveness of the energy and chemicals sector. We found that gasification would be able to meet industry's demand for competitive hydrogen and carbon monoxide, while the use of best-in-class mitigation technologies would minimise its environmental impact.'

The Chemical Engineer asked Keppel for more detail on the scale and schedule of the project, but the company declined to comment.