Developing geothermal energy from nothing: Scientists on unearthing a potential energy source in Singapore

A stone's throw away from Singapore's only hot spring park is an inconspicuous field belying an underground store of energy. These findings were detailed in a groundbreaking study by researchers from NTU and TUMCREATE in collaboration with Surbana Jurong.

In a project which took more than two years to complete, the team in 2020 set out to find Singapore's potential for geothermal energy as a source of clean energy to power everyday needs.

NTU senior research fellow Hendrik Tjiawi said they decided to focus on the northern part of Singapore as the shallow regions where hotter than other parts of Singapore. There, the team achieved a milestone, drilling to a previously unplumbed depth of 1.1km to pull up rock core samples of Simpang granite through a slim hole.

Assoc Prof Wu Wei, the co-investigator of the project, said the study presented him with the chance to satisfy his curiosity about Singapore's geology. Lead scientist Alessandro Romagnoli, cluster director of multi-energy systems and grids at ERI@N, said that there was a dearth of geothermal research and talent in the area, making it a struggle to even begin.