More can be done to encourage Singaporeans to use clean energy: experts

There are much more for Singapore to do even it has attracted big players in clean energy to the city-state, experts said on an energy conference Tuesday.

Experts who attended the sustainable energy Asia conference pointed out that Singapore is set to become Southeast Asia's largest biodiesel production center by year's end when Natural Fuel and Van Der Horst Biodiesel production plants come on stream, according to Channel NewsAsia reports.

However, mandatory guidelines on blending will be needed to urge domestic consumption of green fuel sources, experts said.

David Tee Liang, director of Advanced Clean Energy Center at Nanyang Technological University, suggested that Singapore in the future should give more favorable consideration for blending of some of the biofuels into the current transportation fuels.

"Any kind of gesture towards encouraging the use of blended diesel together with biodiesel will be a good signal to the consumers, that we are moving towards a more sustainable development model," Liang was quoted as saying.

Singapore is now home to the world's largest wind power systems maker Vestas and European solar company Conergy. More of such companies have an interest in exploring opportunities here, and setting up research and development headquarters.

It is expected that clean energy industry will boost the country's economy by about 1.7 billion Singapore dollars (about 1. 12 billion U.S. dollars) and create 7,000 jobs by 2015.

Source: Xinhua