EDP Renewables APAC Greenifies Pulau Ubin’s Micro-grid
Singapore, November 1, 2023 – EDP Renewables (EDPR), a global leader in renewables that promotes access to clean, reliable and affordable energy for all, today is greenifying Pulau Ubin’s Micro-grid with renewable sources. The enhanced system will benefit more than 30 households and businesses, reducing the island’s reliance on diesel by nearly 100,000 litres per annum, avoiding 268,000 kgs of CO2 emissions.
An inauguration ceremony hosted by EDPR was held at Pulau Ubin today, with Minister Dr Maliki, Member of Parliament for East Coast Town Council, gracing the event as the Guest of Honour. Industry partners and Pulau Ubin’s residents were also invited.
Supported by Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA), EDPR was appointed to enhance Pulau Ubin’s existing micro-grid with renewables technology. The enhanced micro-grid includes a 328 kilowatt-peak (kWp) solar photovoltaic system together with a 1 Megawatt-hour (MWh) Energy Storage System (ESS).
Two main innovative green solutions can be highlighted: First, a Solar Green Roof which consists of different types of greenery planted below the solar panels with the goal to regulate ambient temperatures and therefore optimizing its efficiency by up to 4%.
Second, a 1 MWh Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRB) ESS is deployed to increase the reliability of the electricity sourced from the Solar Green Roof. The ESS helps to mitigate the solar variability and ensures the consistent operation of the grid by actively managing any mismatches in supply and demand. Notably, when compared to lithium-ion batteries, vanadium-based batteries offer a longer lifespan of up to 25 years and presents a significant reduction in fire hazard as Vanadium is not flammable.
Through this project, EDPR is also working with The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) on research in the different types of renewable energy integration and storage for future applications. Research areas include the experimental design of the Solar Green Roof, data analysis of the solar power efficiency, and micro-grid energy management system design. These solutions will be further researched throughout the first year of operation, to understand their impact on this project and the replication potential on other projects in Singapore or the APAC region.
Minister Dr. Maliki, Adviser to East Coast GROs, Minister at Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Education and Foreign Affairs, commented, “Today, we celebrate a step forward towards a more sustainable future with Pulau Ubin moving away from diesel consumption to renewable energy. Together, we can continue to make a positive impact on our environment and create a legacy of sustainability for generations to come.”
Mr Pedro Vasconcelos, CEO of EDP Renewables APAC, commented, “Greenifying Pulau Ubin's micro-grid is part of our reinforced commitment to lead the energy transition. This project contributes to the decarbonization and innovation efforts of Singapore, as it pilots new technologies and an ecosystem which can be key enablers to a greener and more resilient future.”
On the deployment of the green micro-grid system, Mr Ngiam Shih Chun, Chief Executive of EMA, said: “The enhanced micro-grid is an effort that not only provides the island’s residents and businesses with reliable and clean energy, but also supports Singapore’s energy transition towards a more sustainable energy future.”
Assistant Professor Elsa Feng, Engineering Cluster, SIT, and research team lead said, “We are pleased to work with EDPR to optimise the integration of multiple distributed energy resources, enhance operational efficiency, and develop economically viable solutions to support Singapore’s energy transition. This project will explore the integration of green roofs with solar PV systems to increase the efficiency of PV generation, as well as the role of large-scale Flow Batteries to increase the resilience of our future grid. We are also happy to have our students work on this project with us, as SIT’s focus on applied learning aims to provide our students with the opportunity to work with industry partners. We hope this will help nurture the talents of future professionals through authentic learning experiences.”
The implementation of these green innovations marks a step towards the nation’s sustainability agenda, contributing to the broader national goal of environmental stewardship and energy security.