Keppel saved $94m in 2022 from energy-efficient initiatives, invested $2.8b in green solutions
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The Senoko Waste-to-Energy Plant owned by Keppel Infrastructure Trust.
PHOTO: KEPPEL INFRASTRUCTURE TRUST
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SINGAPORE – Keppel continues to reap the fruits of going green, enjoying lower costs from energy-saving initiatives while it continues to tap sustainability to drive further growth.
Its annual sustainability report out on Monday noted that these initiatives in 2022 achieved an estimated $94 million in cost savings. About 126,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent in emissions were also avoided.
Chief executive Loh Chin Hua told stakeholders: “Sustainability is an integral part of how we create value.”
He added: “With many countries and companies making net-zero pledges, we see immense opportunities where the group can harness our capabilities to help our customers and communities with their decarbonisation efforts.”
Keppel invested about $2.8 billion in energy and environment as well as sustainable urban renewal-related initiatives, jointly undertaken by the company with private funds and/or business trusts managed by Keppel Capital.
Mr Loh noted that Keppel has set a new target for 50 per cent of the group’s electricity use to be from renewable energy sources by 2025, with a view to reaching 100 per cent by 2030.
“We (also) took significant steps forward to enhance our governance and management of sustainability, with the establishment of a board sustainability and safety committee,” he added.
Keppel launched numerous climate-related initiatives in the past year, including the inaugural import of renewable energy into Singapore. This was through the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project in 2022, which imports up to 100 megawatts of hydropower from Laos to Singapore via Thailand and Malaysia using existing interconnections.
Keppel is developing Singapore’s first hydrogen-ready and high-efficiency combined gas turbine power plant, the Keppel Sakra Cogen Plant, on Jurong Island. It is expected to be commissioned by 2026. It is exploring greener solutions such as energy-efficient floating data centres and climate-resilient nearshore urban developments, or “floating cities”, to cope with rising sea levels.
Significantly, two waste-to-energy plants operated by Keppel here
The plants prevent organic waste from decomposing over the long term and reduce methane emissions, compared with the impact from traditional landfills.
The plants in Senoko and Tuas also generate electricity.
In 2022, Keppel appointed Mr Ho Tong Yen as its first chief sustainability officer to coordinate and drive the group’s sustainability efforts.
In addition, Keppel is leveraging its green credentials to finance new investments.
The group has secured about $3.1 billion in green and sustainability-linked financing since 2019, and plans to set up a sustainable financing framework by 2024.
Keppel’s efforts are in line with Singapore’s target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and global sustainable development goals, said Mr Loh. “We will continue to work with all stakeholders to create a sustainable future,” he added.
