Singapore (AFP)

Singapore on Wednesday unveiled one of the world's largest floating solar power plants, an area the size of 45 football fields, an initiative that aims to reduce the city-state's greenhouse gas emissions.

A total of 122,000 solar panels have been installed on the Tengeh water reservoir.

They should make it possible to produce the electricity necessary for Singapore's five water treatment plants.

The city is one of Asia's largest emitters of greenhouse gases, per capita.

And the small amount of available land is a challenge for the implementation of renewable energy projects.

Hence the solution to install power plants offshore or on its water reservoirs.

The floating solar power plant can generate up to 60 megawatts of electricity and will reduce carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to taking 7,000 cars off the road, according to Sembcorp Industries and the Singapore water management agency PUB , the two partners in the creation of this plant.

Singapore has also created solar farms in the Strait of Johor which separates Singapore from the Malaysian peninsula, and others on land.

The city-state threatened by rising water levels due to climate change, is well aware of the urgency to reduce CO2 emissions, but observers find its efforts so timid.

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The Singaporean government unveiled a "Green Plan" in February which plans to plant trees, reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and increase the number of recharging stations for electric cars.

It also plans to quadruple the production of solar energy, up to 2% of the country's consumption in 2025, and 3% in 2030, which corresponds to the needs of 350,000 households per year.

Despite its desire to become greener, the city-state will find it difficult to overcome its dependence on natural gas, which provides 95% of its electricity, and to reduce its emissions without harming the refining and petrochemical sectors.

Solar farm projects will not be enough if they are not accompanied by a greater commitment to reducing emissions, said in March Red Constantino, executive director of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, based in Philippines.

Singapore has pledged to halve its 2030 emissions level by 2050 and achieve the zero emissions target "as soon as possible" thereafter.

These targets lag behind those of other developed economies, and the Climate Action Tracker, an independent assessment body called them "grossly insufficient".

© 2021 AFP