Major research grant positions Imperial and NTU Singapore as green fuel leaders

A new research grant from NRF Singapore will help researchers in the UK and Singapore develop technologies for clean fuel.

This research project is supported by the CREATE Thematic Programme in Decarbonisation, announced by the National Research Foundation, Singapore (NRF Singapore) in July this year. The programme aims to enhance Singapore’s capabilities in hydrogen utilisation and develop non-fossil fuel-based pathways for producing sustainable aviation fuel and high-value chemicals, contributing to the nation’s long-term sustainability goals. 

Hosted at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), in partnership with Imperial Global Singapore, the joint project will focus on developing direct ammonia solid oxide fuel cells (DA-SOFCs) to create a more efficient and sustainable clean fuel source. 

Ammonia has emerged as a promising hydrogen carrier and a potential fuel cell that can power electric cars, offering high energy efficiency and scalability. 

When developed, such advanced ammonia fuel cells can convert ammonia directly into electricity through an electrochemical reaction. When ammonia is split into nitrogen and hydrogen, the hydrogen is used as the fuel in the cell to generate power efficiently and with very low emissions. 

The new research project is expected to deliver breakthroughs in both materials and system designs for DA-SOFCs, advancing the technology towards practical, scalable energy applications. 

Research work will involve scientists from NTU Singapore, Imperial and the University of Cambridge.  Leading the whole project is Professor Chan Siew Hwa, Co-Director, Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N), in collaboration with Professor Stephen Skinner, from Imperial’s Department of Materials.  

The project will position Singapore and the UK as leaders in clean ammonia fuel research and strengthen the existing partnership between Imperial and NTU Singapore. This work follows a major grant announced earlier this year between Imperial and NTU for the IN-CYPHER programme to improve cybersecurity in healthcare. 

It is hoped that the new NRF-funded research project will help the maritime industry transition to eco-friendly ports and shipping practices, reducing pollutants, ensuring energy security, and establishing a resilient framework that is essential for the future of marine transport and operations. 

Professor Mary Ryan, Vice Provost (Research and Enterprise) at Imperial, said: “The transition to clean fuel is one of the great challenges of our time and we are proud to be bringing together world-leading experts at Imperial, NTU and Cambridge for this project. We would also like to thank the National Research Foundation Singapore for supporting this important work. 

“Global challenges will only be solved through international collaboration and our brightest minds sharing ideas and expertise. International collaboration is in Imperial’s DNA and this project demonstrates our commitment to strengthening our partnerships with Singapore.” 

Professor Lam Khin Yong, NTU Singapore’s Vice President (Industry), said, “This collaboration brings together the best expertise in materials and energy from both NTU and Imperial, two institutions recognised globally for their leadership in these fields.  

“NTU is committed to developing innovative solutions for sustainability, supporting Singapore's climate targets and its transition to low carbon energy sources. Fuel cells offer a clean and practical alternative that can complement batteries and other renewable energy technologies, with the potential to power transportation and urban infrastructure at scale. This project will advance new knowledge and support both Singapore's and the UK’s ambitions to adopt cleaner energy sources, contributing to our collective efforts to mitigate climate change." 

Professor Stephen Skinner, research principal investigator from Imperial, said: "We are excited to be partnering with our colleagues at NTU in tackling the decarbonisation challenge within Singapore. Our work on direct ammonia fuel cells for marine applications will span fundamental materials discovery, mechanistic understanding of these fuel cells and their durability, and will accelerate the scale up of the technology through collaboration with leading industry partners. 

“To achieve this, we will grow a multidisciplinary team and build links with other CREATE partners and stakeholders, leading to continued growth of an effective international research ecosystem, benefitting all.” 

Principal Investigator of the joint project, NTU Prof Chan Siew Hwa, added: “Ammonia, when produced from renewable energy, is considered a green fuel with great potential for hard-to-decarbonise sectors like maritime industries. However, its direct use in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) faces several challenges. Addressing these challenges is the main objective of this collaborative program. Once resolved, ammonia could become a promising fuel for marine propulsion, with minimal nitrogen oxide emissions released into the atmosphere.” 

Imperial Global Singapore 

Earlier this year, Imperial – which ranked in 2nd place in the QS World University Rankings for 2025 – launched its first overseas research and innovation hub in Singapore to strengthen collaboration between the UK and Singapore.  

Imperial Global Singapore sees Imperial’s scientists working closely with university, industry, government, and third-sector partners in Singapore.  

The Hub, which builds on Imperial’s longstanding collaborations with partners in Singapore, enables scientists to rapidly scale new scientific breakthroughs and technology to societal benefit and commercialisation in Southeast Asia. 

Imperial has worked closely with NTU on many successful projects. In 2010, Imperial and NTU Singapore established the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) – which admitted its first students in 2013. 

The two universities also established the virtual NTU-Imperial Health, Sustainability and Technology Hub in 2022, which focuses on collaborative research in fields of scientific research and development that tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges. 

Imperial and Singapore 

Imperial is proud to currently host more than 350 students from Singapore and to have more than 3,000 alumni who call Singapore home. 

The university is also Singapore’s top research collaborator in Europe by publications, with over 3,200 co-publications between Imperial and Singapore institutions between 2018-2023.