Singapore’s City Energy has signed two memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Malaysia’s Gentari to conduct joint feasibility studies for a hydrogen supply chain between the two countries and create an electric vehicle (EV) charging network.
City Energy is Singapore’s sole piped town gas producer and the nation’s gas utility provider; it was formerly known as City Gas. Gentari is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Petronas.
Under the partnership, City Energy and Gentari aim to pursue opportunities to import hydrogen into Singapore.
In addition to supporting Singapore's National Hydrogen Strategy, which was announced in October 2022, the agreements enable City Energy to explore alternate sources of hydrogen to reinforce its decarbonisation efforts. Both parties will also explore other hydrogen-related opportunities, according to an April 18 press release.
The MOU for hydrogen feasibility studies was signed between Perry Ong, chief executive officer of City Energy and Michèle Azalbert, chief hydrogen officer of Gentari.
See also: City Energy harbours hydrogen dreams to help homes decarbonise
Hydrogen is the largest component in town gas produced at City Energy’s Senoko Gasworks plant, making City Energy one of the largest last-mile carriers of hydrogen in Singapore. The collaboration with Gentari follows City Energy’s ongoing feasibility studies with leading industry partners and institutes of higher learning to explore alternative sources of hydrogen.
City Energy’s Ong says: “This strategic partnership between City Energy and Gentari is a key development for us. As City Energy is the sole piped town gas provider for more than 880,000 homes and businesses, City Energy is well placed to establish a hydrogen supply for the future production of our town gas.”
Gentari aims to produce up to 1.2 million tonnes of clean hydrogen per year to address the future increase of clean energy demand. The collaboration with City Energy will accelerate the adoption of clean hydrogen as an energy source and signifies commitment towards providing clean hydrogen from Malaysia to Singapore, say the two companies.
See also: Singapore launches National Hydrogen Strategy, could supply half of power needs by 2050
Gentari’s Azalbert says: “While Gentari aims to become the go-to industry partner for clean hydrogen, we want to be able to provide integrated clean energy solutions for customers in Asia Pacific, among others. The collaboration with City Energy is taking a step towards the right path in providing that solution. We believe this partnership will be the first of many in Singapore. We are committed to support Singapore in achieving net zero emissions by 2050.”
EV network
The second MOU, signed between Ong and Shah Yang Razalli, Gentari’s deputy chief executive officer and chief green mobility officer, will see Go by City Energy (Go) and Gentari working together to deepen and expand the understanding of the EV market and behaviour of EV users in Singapore and Malaysia.
The two companies will also jointly deploy publicly accessible EV chargers on each other’s EV networks.
In April 2022, City Energy launched its EV charging solution arm, Go, to provide EV charging solutions as a service to commercial buildings, mixed developments and private housing estates.
Gentari is the second Malaysian company City Energy is collaborating with for EV charging, after its tie-up with Malaysian start-up EV Connection in April 2022. Go currently offers 118 charging points across more than 50 locations in Malaysia through its app, City Energy Go.
This collaboration between Go and Gentari will accelerate the pace of charger deployments by both parties through co-deployment arrangements, say the two companies. Both parties will work on expanding their EV charging networks, allowing EV drivers in both Singapore and Malaysia connectivity and convenience.
Ong says: “Range anxiety is a real concern for electric car drivers. For those driving between Singapore and Malaysia, a seamless, highly accessible network of chargers will put their mind at ease, and this is what City Energy seeks to do with our partners across the Causeway. As we continue our expansion of our Go by City Energy network of private and commercial developments in Singapore, we will distinguish ourselves through added value in the form of a robust cross-border EV network built on expanded connectivity into Malaysia.”
