Clean energy workforce expected to increase by 60% in the next decade

Power sector needs more people with new skills as it pivots to clean sources: Minister of State

- Chin Hui Shan

The workforce in the clean energy sector is expected to grow by 60 per cent — or about 1,000 workers — in the next 10 years, said Minister of State for Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang on Oct 31.

This growth is expected to be driven by jobs in solar, energy storage systems and low-carbon electricity imports as Singapore commits to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

The nation’s power sector accounts for about 40 per cent of emissions and efforts are under way to reduce the carbon footprint of this sector, such as by increasing solar capacity and importing clean electricity, among other things.

Speaking on the final day of the Singapore International Energy Week conference, Ms Gan said the power sector is expected to continue expanding and hiring in the coming decade.

“We are pivoting towards cleaner energy sources and we will need more people with new skills,” she explained.

This includes jobs such as solar panel design and asset performance engineers, and specialists working on the design, operation and maintenance of subsea interconnectors.

Nascent areas such as carbon capture and storage will present more opportunities, she said.

The data came from manpower and workforce planning surveys commissioned by the Energy Market Authority (EMA).