Accelerating transformation towards a more sustainable energy future at the 12th Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW)
SIEW 2019 attracted more than 13,000 attendees from over 80 countries to Singapore to deliberate key energy issues under the theme “Accelerating Energy Transformation.” Energy thought leaders, senior government officials and industry captains took part in dynamic exchanges of ideas on key energy issues such as the changing global energy landscape, the impact of digitalisation and opportunities and issues related to the electrification of the energy sector.
The Singapore Energy Story
In his SIEW Opening Remarks, Singapore’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Chan Chun Sing, shared Singapore’s Energy Story for the next 50 years, as Singapore works towards ensuring that its energy supplies are sustainable, reliable and affordable.
Singapore’s new Energy Story will depend on what the Minister termed the “Four Switches”: Natural Gas, Solar Power, Regional Power Grids and Low-Carbon Alternatives. A crucial aspect is making better use of solar, as Singapore aims to deploy at least 2 gigawatt-peak of solar energy by 2030 and will be working with companies, researchers and the public to achieve this.
Sustainable Energy Future
Two top energy leaders delivered the SIEW Opening Keynote this year. As the global energy market transitions towards renewables, Mr. Francesco La Camera, Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), emphasised the benefits of renewables and how renewables would help to create more jobs and improve economies.
Mr. Cedrik Neike, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO of Smart Infrastructure, Siemens AG, shared how industries can help the energy industry transition towards renewables, and how Siemens is supporting this change.
Urgent Actions Needed to Accelerate the Global Energy Shift
Keynote addresses at the Singapore Energy Summit (SES) underlined the importance of collaborative action to accelerate the energy transformation. Her Excellency (H.E.) Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, She highlighted that the Asia-Pacific region needs to focus on regional cooperation including energy data sharing and energy connectivity among the region’s power grids.
This was followed by a presentation from His Excellency (H.E.) Eng Awaidha Murshed Ali Al Marar, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, United Arab Emirates (UAE)that highlighted Abu Dhab’s commitment to pioneering a paradigm shift towards renewable and clean forms of energy.
H.E. Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Mat Suni Bin Haji Mohd Hussein, Minister of Energy, Manpower and Industry, Brunei Darussalam highlighted his country’s plans to make use of their abundant resources to provide all their citizens with reliable energy.
Increasing Solar Energy Production and E-waste Recycling in Singapore
In his opening speech at the Asia Clean Energy Summit, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Dr. Koh Poh Koon, elaborated on Singapore’s plans to reduce emissions intensity in 2030 by 36 per cent from 2005 levels.
Partner Event Highlights
The Asian Downstream Summit featured a wide range of robust discussions on critical issues in the downstream sector. Senior Minister of State, Dr. Koh Poh Koon presented the Asian Downstream Summit Awards of Excellence to PETRONAS Refinery and Petrochemical Corp. (PRPC) – Penerang Integrated Complex (PIC), Hexagon PPM, and Edison Tan from Shell Singapore.
GAS Asia Summit, featured Mr. Kng Meng Hwee, Deputy Chief Executive of the Energy Market Authority (EMA), who touched on “Three D’s” of emerging trends – Decarbonisation, Decentralisation and Digitalisation – and their impact on the global gas sector.
Addressing Southeast Asia’s Energy Challenges
At the 3rd annual Singapore-International Energy Agency (IEA) forum, the IEA launched its Southeast Asia Energy Outlook 2019. Mr. Keisuke Sadamori, Director, Energy Markets and Security at the IEA, said that Southeast Asia will continue to see rapid growth in energy demand till 2040, and is also set to become one of the world’s key global energy centres.
Panellists at the Singapore-IEA Forum deliberated ways in which Southeast Asian countries should increase their deployment of renewables, and the challenges policymakers in the region face in integrating renewables into existing power systems.
Insights from Key Energy Reports
SIEW Energy Insights brought together valuable information and ideas for governments and the energy community. It featured new report launches and insights from global thought leaders, such as DNV GL, Atlantic Council, IEA, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC).
Ms. Lucy Craig, Vice President and Director of Technology and Innovation, DNV GL – Energy, gave an overview on their latest report, the Energy Transition Outlook 2019. She highlighted that an increase in investments towards electrification and the grid is needed to accelerate the energy transformation and close the emissions gap.
Youth as the Future of the Energy Industry
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Foreign Affairs, Dr. Tan Wu Meng, opened the Youth@SIEW session. In his speech, he emphasised how Singapore’s energy story is an ongoing one – and how the youth have a large role to play in writing and crafting that story for the future.
This Youth@SIEW also featured a new segment, Energy Mythbusters, where students from tertiary education institutions had the opportunity to debate pertinent energy topics.
Dr. Tan presented the Energy-Industry Scholarship (EIS) Award to nine students, a record number of recipients for this award.
Throughout the week, there were also many conferences addressing the key topics of electrification, digitalisation and transformation. Many delegates also had the opportunity to visit the various exhibitions featuring clean energy solutions, gas and downstream infrastructure and start up technologies. Many delegates also shared their views at the SIEW Live booth and social media, which saw an estimated 12 million impressions over the week. The event’s social media outreach has also broadened and grown through its Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
The 13th edition of the Singapore International Energy Week will return from 26–30 October 2020. Please visit for more updates.