Space-constrained Singapore turns to floating energy storage
Photo of Southeast Asia’s first floating and stacked Energy Storage System, with maximum storage capacity of 7.5 megawatt hour (MWh) to power over 600 four-room HDB households in a single discharge. (Photo credit: Seatrium Ltd)
The storage deployment is a first for Southeast Asia and will be used to balance the grid in Singapore as the country faces compact land constraints.
The floating and stacked Energy Storage System (ESS) was deployed at shipbuilding and repairing company Seatrium Limited’s (Seatrium) Floating Living Lab (FLL) and will commence operations by Q1 2024.
Integrated with a Smart Energy Management System, supported by artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to enhance efficiency and energy dispatch, Seatrium says the ESS will be crucial in helping the country meet its limited land capacity.
Singapore, an island and city-state, is the smallest country in Southeast Asia.
With a deployment footprint of up to 40% less than land-based ESS, the storage system will be a key component of an integrated floating energy solution for Singapore.
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The ESS has a maximum storage capacity of 7.5MWh and can meet the electricity needs of more than 600 four-room HDB (Housing and Development Board) households for one day, in a single discharge.
An ESS functions as a large-scale battery that stores energy during off-peak periods and dispenses it at other times when there is high electricity demand.
The fast response nature of ESS also allows it to actively manage mismatches in electricity supply and demand and helps regulate second-by-second fluctuations in the power grid.
As such, ESS can manage the intermittent nature of solar power which fluctuates throughout the day due to rain and cloud cover in Singapore‘s tropical climate.
It is capable of supporting locations with intermittent power supplies or being activated for rapid deployment in remote islands affected by power disruptions.
The project was awarded to a consortium led by Univers (formerly Envision Digital International Pte Ltd), part of the S$10 million (US$7.3 million) partnership between EMA (Energy Market Authority) and Seatrium to develop innovative energy solutions in the marine sector, which was announced in April 2020.
On the storage system’s deployment, Ngiam Shih Chun, chief executive of EMA, said: “Given Singapore’s limited land area, we need innovative solutions for our energy infrastructure such as Seatrium’s floating solution for energy storage. I thank our industry partners for their commitment in developing sustainable energy solutions.”
Added Chris Ong, chief executive officer of Seatrium: “We are proud to be at the forefront of developing innovative energy solutions in the offshore, marine and energy industries.
“The deployment of Singapore’s first floating and stacked ESS at Seatrium’s FLL is testament to our commitment towards leveraging technology and innovation to optimise energy efficiency and reduce our operational footprint.”
