National Research Foundation invests $90 million to support nine decarbonization research projects [CNRS is a member of 2 of these projects]
Lianhe Zaobao – 22 07 2024
The following article is a translation from mandarin to english language, of this article:
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore/story20240722-4322176
The CREATE seminar also showcased research and innovation programs carried out by the collaborating institutions, including the digital urban planning platform of the French National Center for Scientific Research. The platform can collect climate-related data for users to make predictions and plans, or understand the impact of climate change on cities through virtual reality. (Photo by Liang Qilin)
Using the principles of synthetic biology, bacteria and carbon dioxide can react chemically to produce sustainable fuels. If this research conducted by the National University of Singapore and a French research institute makes progress, it will open up a new source of supply for sustainable aviation fuels, while converting carbon dioxide released by industry into energy and reducing carbon emissions.
The Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) under the Singapore National Research Foundation held a seminar on Monday (July 22). At the event, the foundation announced that it would invest $90 million to fund 9 decarbonization research projects with a research period of three to five years.
This research by NUS and the French National Center for Scientific Research [CNRS] is one of the projects funded. Eight other universities and institutions from Singapore and abroad participated in the research, including Nanyang Technological University, Cambridge University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Germany’s Max Planck Institute.
Decarbonization research projects divided into four areas
Professor Tan Chor Chuan, Permanent Secretary for National Research and Development, said in his speech that Singapore is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, and to do this, it is necessary to address emissions mainly from industry and electricity production. Singapore and many parts of the world still rely on fossil fuels, and our country hopes to switch to green energy in the future. If hydrogen or hydrogen carriers can be used more efficiently, it is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 60%.
He pointed out that decarbonization research projects are divided into four aspects, including: the use of hydrogen energy; green chemical technology that sustainably converts biomass into chemicals and biofuels; using synthetic biology to allow microorganisms to convert carbon dioxide into chemicals and biofuels; and developing net zero production methods for the pharmaceutical field.
Tan said: “Drawing on the broad expertise of the partners, the research focuses on developing alternatives to fossil fuels… The new knowledge and solutions gained will not only support the environmental sustainability goals of Singapore and our partners, but also benefit the rest of the world.”
Professor Chueh Loo Poh (NUS Biomedical Engineering) and the new CNegSAF project
Associate Professor Chueh Loo Poh from NUS Department of Biomedical Engineering is one of the researchers leading the effort to develop sustainable aviation fuel alternatives.
He told Lianhe Zaobao in an interview: “Factories have a large carbon emission. We are thinking about how to help the industry reduce carbon emissions and convert carbon dioxide into usable substances. At the same time, the aviation industry has a limited supply of sustainable aviation fuel because it is currently only made from plant or animal oil. Sustainable aviation fuel is therefore at least one or two times more expensive than ordinary fuel. If we can help the industry reduce carbon emissions while also developing another sustainable aviation fuel, it can be said to kill two birds with one stone.”
French researchers [from CNRS, TBI] have expertise in using microorganisms to perform “gas fermentation” (converting gases into chemicals), so the NUS team has started collaborative research with these French institutions.
To achieve the decarbonization goal, flights departing from Singapore will be required to use a certain percentage of sustainable aviation fuel from 2026, and passengers will also have to pay a sustainable aviation fuel tax . In the initial stage, the proportion of such fuel is expected to be set at 1% of the total fuel, and by 2030, the government hopes to increase the amount to 3% to 5%.