A significant step toward enhancing renewable energy in Singapore.
SINGAPORE: The largest energy storage system in Southeast Asia was inaugurated on Jurong Island on Thursday (Feb 2), marking a pivotal move toward increasing solar power adoption in Singapore.
The Sembcorp Energy Storage System boasts a maximum capacity of 285 megawatt-hours (MWh), enough to meet the electricity needs of approximately 24,000 households in four-room flats for a full day with a single discharge. Covering an area of 2 hectares—comparable to nearly three football fields—the facility commenced operations last December after being developed by Sembcorp Industries, following an appointment by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) in June 2022.
EMA emphasized the need for timely completion due to ongoing shifts in the global energy market, as highlighted by Ms. Jeanette Lim, EMA’s director of industry development. The system is intended to “provide energy, reserves, and/or regulation services to enhance Singapore’s grid resilience and manage any prolonged market and energy supply volatility.”
Notably, the system’s rapid response capability allows it to store and supply power in milliseconds, a critical feature for addressing solar intermittency caused by Singapore’s variable weather conditions. Sembcorp and EMA jointly stated that the system can also supply reserves to the power grid, enabling power generation plants to increase electricity output as demand fluctuates.
EMA chief executive Ngiam Shih Chun noted that the energy storage system aligns with the authority’s objectives to maximize solar adoption while bolstering the stability and resilience of the power grid. The deployment of this utility-scale facility has allowed Singapore to surpass its 200 MWh energy storage target ahead of schedule, with a goal set for at least 200 MWh of energy storage systems by 2025 as part of the Singapore Green Plan 2030.
Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng reiterated that solar power is Singapore’s most promising source of clean energy, emphasizing the importance of scaling its deployment as a key strategy to decarbonize the power sector. The country has already doubled its solar capacity since 2020, currently boasting over 700 megawatt-peak (MWp) installed. Singapore aims to elevate solar capacity to at least 2 gigawatt-peak (2 GWp) by 2030, which would power around 350,000 households annually, fulfilling approximately 3 percent of projected electricity demand.
The Sembcorp Energy Storage System consists of over 800 large-scale battery units, with their charge and discharge cycles centrally managed to align with grid supply and demand. Sembcorp, which also manages a battery storage portfolio in the United Kingdom, has a total battery storage capacity of 709 MWh.
