The Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS) has signed a deal with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to establish a regional training center with an aim to promote renewable energy.
SEAS will manage the training of 150 policy makers every year in Singapore for the regional energy sector.
It is expected that around S$1 million investment will be needed to create market opportunities and access to sustainable projects in the region.
This will be the first training center of its kind to build capabilities, drive partnerships and bring together key decision makers under a structured program in clean energy segment.
Edwin Khew, SEAS chairman, said: “The partnership with the ADB is a significant boost to SEAS’s efforts to propel Singapore further as a global Clean Energy Hub. The new training Centre will equip decision makers with knowledge in the strategic areas of policy, technology and financing sustainable energy projects for the future.”
In addition, the Centre will act as a catalyst to further develop the sustainable energy sector as SEAS already has linkages with project developers, financial institutions and key government agencies in Singapore and the region.
Singapore being a center of research and innovation, SEAS’s location will help further develop public-private partnerships, generating market solutions to help attain the universal energy access goals of the sustainable Energy For All initiative, according to authorities.
Under the agreement with the ADB, there are two core commitments.
The first one will be setting up of a training center that will collaborate with industry players to educate and train policy makers, serve as a focal point to drive collaboration between different stakeholders in sustainable energy and serve as a channel for continued education.
The second commitment will include participating at the Singapore International Energy Week/Asia Clean Energy Summit.
For this purpose, the clean energy forums will act as a bridge for policy makers to meet and share their knowledge with technology providers, financial institutions and the like.
The goal is for Asia Clean Energy Summit to train and build capacity in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The collaboration between SEAS and the ADB was marked against the backdrop of the visit by SMEs from Italy’s clean energy sector, coordinated by the Italian Trade Agency in Singapore, a government unit under the Italian Ministry for Economic Development and SEAS.
During this visit, the Italian companies, which specialize in biomass, biogas, solar energy, waste and water management, are looking to tie up with like-minded Singapore companies.
Sabeena Wahid
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