SINGAPORE (REUTERS) - Singapore LNG Corp (SLNG) and France's Total have signed a deal for a rooftop solar power system at the Singapore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, the companies said on Wednesday (Sept 16).

Total Solar Distributed Generation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Total, will finance, build and operate the 600 kilowatt-peak system, which will be installed on the rooftops of several buildings in the terminal, they said. The terminal is owned and operated by SLNG.

The installation of the solar panels is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of this year, they said in a statement.

The system will generate around 800 megawatt-hours of renewable energy and has the potential to avoid an estimated 300 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year, the companies said.

SLNG is also exploring ways to speed up the use of LNG and other green energy alternatives, the company's chief executive officer, Mr Tan Soo Koong, said.

"For one thing, we are looking into collaborations to develop new infrastructure in Singapore to promote the use of LNG as a cleaner marine fuel," he said.

"For another, we are working with various partners to develop technologies related to the importation, transportation and storage of hydrogen."

Singapore, one of the sunniest cities in the world, generates about 95 per cent of its power from imported natural gas, with solar energy being its most viable renewable energy option.

It aims to achieve a solar target of at least two gigawatts of peak power by 2030, up from the 260 megawatt-peak in the second quarter of 2019.