SINGAPORE, March 12 — Singapore has “multiple lines of defence” to protect its energy security as the conflict in the Middle East threatens global oil and gas supplies, its Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology Tan See Leng said today.

Tan said these measures include piped gas from the region that is not affected by the conflict, diversified liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from countries such as the United States and Australia, and efforts to replace any cargoes originally sourced from the Middle East.

“While these measures are in place to ensure Singapore has enough energy for our needs, global gas prices are indeed rising due to the conflict,” he said in a Facebook post.

“We must therefore expect electricity prices to increase in the coming months,” he added.

He said Singapore has also built up a fuel stockpile made up of gas and diesel that power generators can tap if gas supplies are severely disrupted.

According to Tan, all electricity-generating turbines are required to run on both gas and diesel, and the Energy Market Authority (EMA) regularly tests plants to ensure they can switch to diesel generation if needed.

The Middle East is a key fuel producer, with about a quarter of seaborne oil and nearly a fifth of LNG shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The closure of this chokepoint has disrupted crude oil and LNG flows and is expected to push global fuel prices higher in the near term.

Singapore, which Tan said imports all the natural gas used to generate around 95 per cent of its electricity, is already feeling the impact of this volatility.

He urged households and businesses to conserve electricity and switch to more energy-efficient appliances to soften the blow.