LowCarbonSG Participant Spotlight: Insights from Tru-Marine’s Decarbonisation Journey

In this interview, we speak with James Loke, Group CEO of Tru-Marine, who shares insights on the company’s decarbonisation journey. 

Tru-Marine is a home-grown Singapore company specialising in the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) of turbochargers in marine, offshore, locomotive and power plant applications. The company has a presence in 8 countries worldwide, and is the only authorised and cooperative repair shop in the world for the majority of the turbocharger makers.

In 2023, Tru-Marine was one of 3 winners in the LowCarbonSG Category of GCNS’ annual Singapore Apex Corporate Sustainability Awards. Besides that, Tru-Marine recently joined as a signatory to the UN Global Compact as part of their sustainability ambition. 

GCNS: Thank you, James, for being with us for this interview.

As many companies who are new to carbon management may wonder how they can get started, could you share how Tru-Marine got started on its decarbonisation journey?

James: Our company embarked on our decarbonisation journey through initiatives such as a comprehensive assessment of our operations and identifying areas where we could reduce carbon emissions and improve sustainability. This involved engaging stakeholders across different departments to raise awareness and foster a culture of environmental stewardship.

We prioritised initiatives that offered significant environmental benefits while aligning with our business objectives. This included measures such as transitioning to renewable energy sources, lifecycle assessments of our repair processes, responsible procurement, and even R&D of green technologies.

Collaboration with external partners, including industry experts, research institutions, and government agencies, also played a crucial role in guiding our low-carbon initiatives and accessing resources and expertise.

GCNS: Can you share with us a few key initiatives that have been carried out by Tru-Marine to reduce its carbon emissions?

James: Our company has implemented several key initiatives:

1. We’ve transitioned to using 100% renewable energy sources to power our electricity needs at our workshop in Singapore.
2. We’ve implemented life cycle assessments of our in-house repair processes to identify and address areas with high carbon emissions.
3. We’ve replaced traditional forklifts with electric ones for our daily operations, and electric vehicles for employee commuting.

GCNS: The decarbonization initiatives you adopted (eg. solar installation, and electrification of forklifts) seem to be heavy in CAPEX. How do you look at the return on these investments to justify their costing from a business perspective?

James: From a business perspective, our decarbonization initiatives, such as solar installation and electrification of forklifts, represent strategic investments rather than mere costs. While these initiatives do require significant upfront CAPEX, we believe they offer compelling returns:

1. Long-Term Cost Savings: Transitioning to renewable energy sources and electric vehicles reduces our reliance on fossil fuels, leading to substantial savings on energy and operational costs over time.
2. Risk Mitigation: By proactively addressing environmental concerns and staying ahead of regulatory changes, we mitigate risks associated with carbon pricing and future carbon taxes, protecting our business from potential financial liabilities.
3. Enhanced Reputation and Brand Value: Demonstrating our commitment to sustainability through concrete actions like decarbonization initiatives enhances our brand reputation and attracts environmentally conscious customers and investors, while also fostering employee loyalty.
4. Access to New Markets and Opportunities: Embracing decarbonization trends positions us to access new markets, forge partnerships, and seize emerging business opportunities in the evolving landscape of sustainability.

GCNS: What are some of the key benefits that your company is seeing based on the effort in this low-carbon transition so far?

James: Our company’s commitment to low-carbon transition has brought about substantial benefits. For one, our investments in renewable energy sources and optimization of energy consumption have led to tangible reductions in our carbon footprint while simultaneously lowering our energy expenses.

Moreover, our dedication to sustainability has bolstered our brand reputation and market positioning. Stakeholders increasingly value businesses that prioritise environmental stewardship, and our efforts in this area have earned us trust and credibility. This, in turn, has opened up new opportunities for partnerships and growth.

In addition to the financial and reputational gains, our low-carbon transition has positioned us to navigate regulatory changes and industry trends related to climate action more effectively.


GCNS: How has Tru-Marine’s experience been participating in the LowCarbonSG programme and being involved in the GCNS’ sustainability ecosystem thus far?

James: The LowCarbonSG Programme provided us with the Carbon & Emissions Recording Tool (CERT) as a scientific tool for measuring and evaluating our GHG emissions by scope 1, 2 and 3.

With that progress, we are able to work towards reducing our emissions by methods such as:

• optimizing our internal processes directly under our control, 
• employee training on our corporate values and sustainable practices, and even
• decarbonizing our supply chain through greener sourcing.

We are also able to keep abreast of developments in the carbon market so as to make continual progress in our decarbonisation efforts. 

GCNS: Congratulations again on being one of the winners of the LowCarbonSG Award in 2023! Do you have any advice for fellow SMEs, especially in similar industries, as they start on their decarbonisation journey?

James: We encourage companies to start on their decarbonisation and sustainability journey as sustainability can be a significant competitive advantage. Working towards being more sustainable can benefit businesses in complying with the market, community and even regulatory expectations for climate action, and in many cases attract and retain customers, talent, and investors.