Keppel and EMA to pilot floating energy storage system in Singapore

Offshore solutions provider Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) and the Energy Market Authority (EMA) have jointly awarded a research grant to pilot Singapore’s first floating energy storage system.

The project was awarded to a consortium led by Envision Digital International as part of the $10 million partnership between EMA and Keppel O&M to develop innovative energy solutions in the marine sector announced in April 2020.

Keppel O&M will be working with the consortium to deploy a 7.5 MW/7.5MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (ESS) on its Floating Living Lab (FLL).

This will be Singapore’s largest ESS deployment to date with sufficient capacity to power more than 600 4-room HDB flats a day, according to Keeppel O&M.

As Singapore’s hot and humid environment can affect the performance of the ESS, the testbed will use an innovative liquid-cooling solution that utilises seawater to cool the battery cells and enhance the lifecycle of the ESS.

The ESS will also explore the first-of-its-kind battery stacking solution in Singapore. This could potentially reduce the footprint required for deployment by up to 40%, the project partners said.

Findings from the project are expected to be applied to ESS on mainland Singapore, which would help support power grid stability and resilience, and facilitate the adoption of more renewable energy such as solar.

Ngiam Shih Chun, EMA’s Chief Executive, said: “Energy storage and smart energy management systems support the deployment of more renewable energy in Singapore. This project will pave the way to overcome our land constraints, and set the blueprint for similar deployments in the future. We hope to continue co-creating more of such energy solutions with the industry as we work towards a more sustainable energy future for Singapore”.

The ESS will also be integrated with a Smart Energy Management System (SEMS) on the FLL to enhance its operational efficiency. Supported by artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, the SEMS will optimise the efficiency of operations and reduce overall energy usage.

The project is expected to be completed in 2023, Keppel O&M informed.

Chris Ong, Chief Executive Officer of Keppel O&M, said: “Besides supporting Singapore’s energy needs, the developed solution will have multiple applications such as supporting areas with intermittent power supply, and rapid deployment to provide emergency power for places or remote islands affected by power disruptions.

“It can also be deployed on hybrid or fully electric vessels to significantly reduce carbon emissions. In line with Keppel’s Vision 2030, we are committed to the development of clean, efficient and cost-effective solutions that contributes to sustainable urbanisation”.

To remind, Sunseap Group, Southeast Asia’s sustainable energy provider, is developing one of the world’s first and largest sea water floating solar systems in Singapore.

Set for completion later this in 2020, the system – located north of Woodlands Waterfront Park, along the Straits of Johor – should at its 5 MegaWatt-peak (MWp) generate about 6,388 MWh of renewable energy annually, which is equivalent to powering about 1,250 4-room flats.