​NTU to integrate renewable energy sources in one system

Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) is building an offshore system that will integrate multiple renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, tidal, diesel, and power-to-gas technologies.

The offshore power grid system will have four hybrid microgrids, occupying over 64,000 sq meters of land. The system will be built at Semakau Landfill which is managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA). It will have over 3,000 sq. meters of photovoltaic (PV) panels, including energy storage systems that are already in operation, NTU Singapore explained.

The deployment of the first hybrid microgrid was announced by Masagos Zulkifli, minister for the environment and water resources at the Asia Clean Energy Summit (ACES).

“I am happy to announce that the first microgrid has just been deployed and it will enable the National Environment Agency (NEA) to power its infrastructure on Semakau Landfill using electricity generated through zero-carbon means. The use of energy storage and microgrid control technologies will allow the landfill to reduce its reliance on diesel-based power and transition towards renewable energy. I am also pleased to share that REIDS will deploy 3 further microgrids on Semakau Landfill to test the interoperability of various microgrid solutions,” Zulkifli said.

Once all four hybrid microgrids are fully built, they are expected to produce stable and consistent power in the megawatt (MW) range, suitable for small islands, isolated villages, and emergency power supplies, NTU said.

Built under the Renewable Energy Integration Demonstrator-Singapore (REIDS) initiative led by NTU, the hybrid power grid system will test the integration of solar, wind, tidal-current, diesel, energy storage and power-to-gas technologies and ensure these energy sources operate well together.

NTU chief of staff and vice-president (research) Prof Lam Khin Yong said: “The deployment of this first hybrid microgrid is a big leap towards low-carbon electricity production for the nation and the region. As a global leader in sustainability research, NTU is proud to champion this ground-breaking initiative and lead Singapore’s charge in developing practical renewable energy solutions.”

Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and NEA, NTU’s REIDS initiative will also facilitate the development and commercialization of microgrid technologies suited for a tropical island.

Goh Chee Kiong, executive director of Cleantech at EDB said, “Singapore has identified microgrids as a key growth area for the clean energy industry. REIDS is the largest microgrid R&D platform in Southeast Asia and therefore is instrumental to Singapore’s ambition to achieve a global leadership position in microgrids and serve the regional markets. Since its launch in 2014, the REIDS platform has been successful in attracting leading solution providers and regional adopters to develop, demonstrate and export microgrid solutions from Singapore.”

Ronnie Tay, chief executive officer of NEA, added, “The REIDS project will lead to innovative sustainable energy solutions that will help to address climate change. The National Environment Agency (NEA) is very pleased to support this landmark effort to explore the integration of renewable energy into micro-grid solutions.”

The REIDS initiative is expected to attract $20 million worth of projects over the next five years, in addition to the initial $10 million investment in infrastructure at the landfill.

The four microgrid systems will be developed by ENGIE, GE Grid Solutions, LS Industrial Solutions (LSIS) and Schneider Electric. Other partners include Accenture, Class NK, DLRE, Renewable Energy Corporation (REC), Trina Solar. LSIS and Sony were also announced as partners.