Reducing Carbon Emissions through Energy Efficiency

PUB, together with our research partners, actively explores innovative and more energy-efficient technologies for adoption in new plants and infrastructure to reduce our energy and carbon footprint.

Enhanced Efficiencies in Water Treatment Processes

Water treatment processes to desalinate seawater is energy intensive. To reduce the energy footprint from these water sources, PUB is exploring technologies such as ultra-permeable membranes, pressure retarded osmosis and ceramic membranes for pre-treatment and closed-circuit reverse osmosis to bring the energy requirement for desalination down from the current 3.5 kWh/m³ to 2.0 kWh/m³. This reduces carbon emissions from the desalination treatment process by 40%, equivalent to 0.6 kg of CO² per cubic metre of water treated.

PUB is also placing a heavy emphasis on energy efficiency for wastewater treatment and is constructing Singapore’s first energy self-sufficient water reclamation plant that is co-located with NEA’s Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) to form Tuas Nexus. By harnessing process synergies from used water and solid waste and new technologies such as biologically enhanced primary treatment used biosorption, step-feed and energy efficient membrane bioreactor and thermal hydrolysis, the upcoming Tuas WRP will maximise energy and resource recovery.

Removing Carbon Emissions

With our current efforts, we expect to abate approximately 90% of our carbon emissions around 2045 through replacing fossil fuel-based energy sources with renewable sources and reducing electricity consumption via energy-efficient technologies and water conservations. To remove the remaining 10% of carbon emissions and realise our target of net-zero emissions around 2045, PUB is working with our research partners to explore the application of carbon capture and removal solutions in our water treatment facilities.

Learn more about our research and development projects to reduce and remove carbon emissions here.