Mr Yu Tat Ming is the Chief Executive Officer of PacificLight Power and PacificLight Energy. He oversaw the successful development of the company’s 800MW power generation facility on Jurong Island.
Mr Yu has over 20 years of experience in the power sector with a management track record spanning project development and implementation, operations, maintenance and capital project development.
Prior to joining PacificLight, Mr Yu held key positions at Senoko Power in Singapore.
Mr Yu holds a first class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hong Kong and a Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
1. PacificLight launched Singapore's first LNG-fuelled power plant in 2014. What role do you foresee PacificLight playing if a LNG trading hub is established in Singapore?
PacificLight, as the largest consumer of LNG in Singapore, helps provide the base consumption for Singapore’s LNG terminal. According to the International Group of Liquefied Gas Importers, Asia accounted for 71 per cent of the world’s estimated 236 million tons of LNG trade in 2012.
As Singapore establishes itself as a LNG trading hub in Asia, it will present additional opportunities for PacificLight to increase value to our shareholders and customers such as on-selling of gas and procurement of spot LNG. PacificLight aspires to remain one of the largest LNG consumers in Singapore as well as an active trading entity in LNG.
2. Given the competition for local talent, could you share with us some initiatives that PacificLight has put in place to encourage young professionals to join the sector? What opportunities are there for them?
At PacificLight, we provide our staff with a consistent and robust approach to training and ongoing development, to ensure all staff are given the opportunity to grow and excel in their career advancement.
We offer our team a range of career development options including support for continuing education, job rotation and project assignment opportunities. We also work actively with staff to set strategies for achieving their individual career goals.
Apart from actively engaging with local universities and educational facilities to promote a long term career in the electricity sector through work placement programs for students, we also leverage on the strength of our shareholders, Meralco and Petronas. We conduct regular exchange visits with our shareholders to learn from their best practices.
3. Your power plant on Jurong Island was recently registered as a Clean Development Mechanism project. How does clean energy and the environment fit into PacificLight’s business strategy?
As we strive to become the preferred electricity retailer in Singapore, we remain constantly mindful that one of our core company values is social responsibility. For PacificLight, this means that we behave responsibly in the environment in which we operate by using resources, including water and electricity wisely. During its design and construction phase, all aspects of our 800MW power plant’s impact on the environment were given careful consideration.
We also recognise that maximising efficiency benefits our customers as it allows us to produce electricity with lower emissions and at more competitive prices. Along with other efficiency-boosting features, we installed the latest F-class gas turbines from Siemens which comply with stringent international emissions standards and provide significant flexibility, allowing ramp up to full capacity within 60 minutes.
These efforts have now been recognised on a global scale and we are proud our project has been successfully registered under the Clean Development Mechanism, the first fossil fuel-fired power facility to be registered in Singapore. This milestone is testament to our high efficiency levels and ongoing commitment to the environment that we are now the largest of the five registered Clean Development Mechanism projects in Singapore.
4. According to the IEA, energy demand in ASEAN is projected to increase by more than 80 per cent over the next two decades. In your opinion, how can PacificLight position itself to meet this demand?
Our immediate aim is to improve our reach to the Singapore market by continuously looking at ways to increase our competitive edge. In particular, we are focusing on enhancing our operational efficiency and ensuring we maintain our plant to its highest standard. This allows us to capitalize on the advanced technology of our combined cycle gas-fired power plant which provides cleaner burning energy to Singapore.
As Singapore’s electricity market continues to expand and open up, consumers will expect better customer service whilst still maintaining competitive prices. One of PacificLight’s core values is to continue to deliver on our promise to customers and meet their requirements.
PacificLight’s power plant represents 6.2 per cent of the current total installed generating capacity in Singapore. We constantly look out for opportunities to increase our plant capacity to meet increased demand at an opportune time. PacificLight aims to grow in tandem with Singapore’s growth in electricity demand.
5. The ASEAN Economic Community and Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP) will see energy markets in the region become more integrated. What opportunities will this bring for energy companies in ASEAN?
PacificLight sees the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline and Trans-ASEAN Electricity Network as a logical evolution in the integration of the economies of ASEAN member states. Integration of gas and electricity networks will facilitate cross border flows of energy which will lead to increased efficiencies and energy security.