Singapore solar photovoltaics capacity to reach 5.3 GW by 2035, forecasts GlobalData

As a net energy importer with no interconnection-free alternatives, Singapore’s energy strategy is guided by the government’s ‘Four Switches’ framework, which combines natural gas, solar photovoltaics (PV), regional power grids, and emerging low-carbon alternatives. Within this framework, solar power represents the primary domestic renewable option supporting clean energy expansion. Against this backdrop, Singapore’s solar PV capacity is projected to increase to 5.33 GW by 2035 from around 1.57 GW in 2024, according to GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform.

GlobalData’s report, ‘Singapore Power Market Trends and Analysis by Capacity, Generation, Transmission, Distribution, Regulations, Key Players, and Forecast to 2035,’ reveals that Singapore’s solar PV capacity is projected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 11.7% during 2024 – 35. This growth is supported by sustained deployment across rooftop, floating, and utility scale installations, alongside government programmes that prioritise solar integration within urban and industrial environments.

Solar expansion is being enabled through policy instruments under the Singapore Green Plan 2030, which targets at least 2 GW of solar capacity by 2030, and implementation mechanisms such as the SolarNova programme, the Simplified Credit Treatment (SCT) scheme, and the Enhanced Central Intermediary Scheme (ECIS). These frameworks facilitate both public-sector procurement and private participation by improving project bankability, enabling excess power monetisation, and reducing barriers for distributed solar deployment across residential, commercial, and industrial segments.

Mohammed Ziauddin, Power Analyst at GlobalData, commented: “Singapore’s clean energy strategy reflects the constraints of a dense, import-dependent system. Solar PV is being scaled within physical limits through targeted policy mechanisms and urban deployment models, while parallel investment in storage, gas modernisation, and regional interconnections support reliability and system balance.”

Despite rising solar capacity, Singapore’s electricity system remains heavily reliant on natural gas, which continues to account for approximately 94 – 95% of power generation. Gas-fired generation provides dispatchable capacity and operational flexibility essential for maintaining grid stability in a system with limited storage and variable renewable output. Supported by diversified LNG imports, strategic storage, and hydrogen-ready repowering requirements, gas-based capacity increases gradually from around 10.38 GW in 2024 to approximately 14.82 GW by 2035, ensuring adequacy as electricity demand grows.

Alongside domestic generation, Singapore is advancing regional diversification through conditional approvals for cross-border, low-carbon electricity imports, with plans to import up to 6 GW by 2035. In parallel, the National Hydrogen Strategy positions hydrogen as a longer-term decarbonisation option, with hydrogen-compatible gas plants and pilot projects designed to preserve optionality beyond 2035.

Ziauddin concluded: “Singapore’s power sector is evolving through a pragmatic pathway that prioritises reliability while gradually reducing emissions intensity. Solar PV remains the cornerstone of domestic renewable growth, supported by targeted policy mechanisms and urban deployment models, while natural gas, regional power imports, and hydrogen readiness collectively ensure system resilience through 2035.”

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