Senoko Energy eyes hydrogen imports from Gentari for Singapore gas power plants

Senoko Energy and Petronas’ Gentari are looking to import hydrogen from Malaysia to Singapore for use in new combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs).

Having today (October 23) announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the Singaporean energy firm will use hydrogen from Gentari through a 20-year supply agreement.

With supply expected to commence by 2029, the hydrogen would be used by Senoko in “new” CCGT assets to “enhance” efficiency and environmental performance.

Despite not revealing whether the gas power plants would be entirely hydrogen-fired, Senoko aims to explore the reduction of 18,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year through the collaboration.

Singapore also has ambitions to see low-carbon hydrogen meet half of its 2050 power needs. However, despite the potential of emerging as a key regional demand centre for the energy carrier, the nation’s production capacity could be limited.

This has given rise to players such as Gentari looking to export low-carbon hydrogen from neighbouring Malaysia.

In October 2023, the Petronas subsidiary partnered with Keppel-owned City Gas to explore building a pipeline to support imports of hydrogen from Malaysia to Singapore.

Read more: City Energy and Gentari to explore Malaysia to Singapore hydrogen pipeline

Michèle Azlbert, Chief Hydrogen Officer at Gentari, claimed the partnership with Senoko was a key step in building a hydrogen backbone in Southeast Asia.

“Cross-border infrastructure like this pipeline connects production and demand centres as we accelerate green hydrogen adoption across the region,” Azalbert stressed.

Earlier this year, Gentari launched a joint venture with the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) to develop a hydrogen production hub in Sarawak, Malaysia.