The decarbonisation project, dubbed Hydrogen and Ammonia Combustion in Singapore (HYCOMBS), will be led by Professor Epaminondas Mastorakos, an engineer and director of industrial relations at Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore.
The project aims to aid Singapore’s business transition away from petrochemicals and towards net zero by 2050.
International Collaboration in Decarbonisation Efforts
HYCOMBS is part of the CREATE Thematic Programme in Decarbonisation, supported by the National Research Foundation. Universities from Singapore, the UK, Japan, and Norway are involved in investigating the underlying combustion process of hydrogen and ammonia.
The National Hydrogen Strategy in Singapore was launched in 2022 to accelerate the development of hydrogen. By 2030, it is believed that nine hydrogen-ready power plants will be in the original place - accounting for around 50% of the country's electricity mix by 2050.
Support from Singapore's Government Leaders
Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore and Chairman of the NRF, said: “The need to tackle climate change and its impact grows ever more urgent. During my visit to Cambridge CARES – Cambridge University’s first and only research centre outside the UK – I witnessed how research and international collaboration are driving innovative solutions to combat climate change, particularly in decarbonisation projects.”
“In just a decade, Cambridge CARES has established cutting-edge R&D facilities dedicated to decarbonisation projects that not only reduce emissions but also pave the way for a more sustainable future for Singapore. From hydrogen combustion and laser-based combustion diagnostics to the development of cleaner fuels for gas stoves, their work is closely aligned with the goals outlined in our Singapore Green Plan 2030, and achieving Singapore’s net zero emissions goal by 2050.
“It was encouraging to hear from former Director of Cambridge CARES [2013-2024], Professor Markus Kraft, as he shared how being based in the CREATE facility at the National University of Singapore facilitates interactions with researchers from diverse countries and disciplines. This collaborative and interdisciplinary approach embodies the essence of research – working together to address shared global challenges.”
Cambridge CARES Contribution to Singapore’s Decarbonisation Project
Launched in 2013, Cambridge CARES has been working in research programmes with Nanyang Technological University and National University of Singapore as Cambridge’s first overseas centre.
Its early flagship programme, the Centre for Carbon Reduction in Chemical Technologies (C4T), has investigated areas from sustainable reaction engineering to electrochemistry.
As part of its ongoing decarbonisation project, CARES has also attracted new partners such as EPFL and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne.
