The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) has appointed three power generators, Keppel Energy, Sembcorp Utilities, and Tuas Power Generation, as biomethane aggregators under Singapore’s 300-MW regulatory sandbox.

In a statement on Friday, the Singapore EDB said said the program, also the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, will import and supply biomethane, a renewable alternative to natural gas.

The 15-year sandbox will test the commercial, regulatory, and operational arrangements needed to import biomethane, EDB said. The aim is to shape the frameworks for wider adoption.

The pilot plan is expected to bring in the first supplies by the end of 2028. Under the sandbox, the three companies will import up to 300 MW of biomethane from regional and international sources.

They will supply it to data centers and industrial manufacturers in Singapore, either as gas or as electricity generated from it. The EDB said the capacity could meet the annual energy needs of about 600,000 Housing and Development Board households.

The EDB said biomethane can be used as a direct replacement for natural gas, using existing gas infrastructure and equipment without modification.

The EDB said natural gas makes up about 95 percent of Singapore’s electricity generation, so biomethane offers a feasible way to cut emissions from the power sector and from gas-dependent industries.

Beyond emissions, the EDB said the sandbox would strengthen energy security by diversifying Singapore’s gas supply beyond conventional natural gas. It said the sandbox would also help build supply chains, commercial models, and sustainability standards for wider deployment.

Lim Wey-Len, executive vice president of the EDB, said the sandbox is an important pilot for discovering new decarbonization pathways for the manufacturing and data center sectors.

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