PUB & Sembcorp Start Construction of 60 MW Floating Solar Photovoltaic System on Tengeh Reservoir
National Water Agency PUB and Sembcorp Floating Solar Singapore announced the commencement of construction of the 60 megawatt-peak floating solar photovoltaic system on Tengeh Reservoir. This marks a significant milestone in building one of the world’s largest inland floating solar PV systems, which not only helps to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and thus carbon emissions, but also builds national climate resilience for a more sustainable future. This large-scale floating solar PV system at Tengeh Reservoir will enable Singapore to be one of the few countries in the world to integrate green technology with water treatment. When the project begins full commercial operations next year, the amount of clean energy generated will be sufficient to power PUB’s local water treatment plants, offsetting 7% of PUB’s annual energy needs.
The project will also incorporate new innovations in floating solar PV design and construction. Every component of the system was carefully designed and selected based on Singapore’s climate conditions in order to maximise energy generation, minimise environmental and water quality impact, and be durable enough to fulfil a service lifespan of 25 years. These include double-glass PV modules instead of the single-glass variant commonly used for rooftops installations, to enhance durability in a wet and humid environment. The PV modules are supported by certified food-grade quality high density polyethylene (HDPE) floats which are UV-resistant to prevent degradation from the intense sunlight exposure.
To optimise performance and reliability of operations, the system is backed by a digital monitoring platform which features safety cameras, ‘live’ video monitoring, dashboards and alerts that help to track environmental factors such as wind speed, solar irradiation and ambient temperature. The system also detects abnormalities that may indicate potential overheating and fire hazard for preemptive troubleshooting. Staff will be able to monitor the system remotely via a mobile application which allows maintenance teams to be swiftly deployed when required (please refer to infographic in Annex A).
The commencement of construction is not expected to have a material impact on the earnings per share and net asset value per share of Sembcorp, for the financial year ending December 31, 2020.
Source : STRATEGIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE