Singapore –
Singapore may only have an area thousands of times smaller than Indonesia. But this country’s guts are not playing games when it comes to sustainability and clean energy.
With limited territory and resources, the Little Red Dot must find a way to build a new source of energy for his people. The new energy source must also be clean and not pollute the environment.
One of the sources of clean energy that is being massively utilized by Singapore is solar energy. The average solar radiation in Singapore, which reaches 1,580 kWh/m2 annually, makes solar PV the top choice.
However, other challenges face considering the limited land owned by Singapore. But it wouldn’t be Singapore if it weren’t smart enough to make the impossible possible. An artificial lake located in Tengeh, the southwestern part of Singapore has been ‘transformed’ into a cluster of floating PLTS islands.
As many as 10 PLTS ‘islands’ with different sizes and number of panels are stretched over the Tengeh Reservoir. The total area of the ten PLTS islands reaches 45 ha or one third of the area of the artificial reservoir.
Or to make it even easier to imagine, the total area of the PLTS is equivalent to 65 football fields. This area makes the floating PLTS in Tengeh the third largest floating PLTS in the world after the two floating PLTS built in China.
detikcom had the opportunity to visit the location of the floating PLTS which has a total peak capacity of 60 MW. This PLTS was built by Sembcorp Solar Singapore during a pandemic (August 2020) and was completed in just 11 months or in July 2021.
To produce the expected electric power, Sembcorp has spread more than 122 thousand solar panels over the reservoir which is divided into 10 groups or what they call ‘islands’. Each solar panel can generate 490 watts of electricity at peak capacity.
Floating PLTS in Tengeh Reservoir, Singapore Photo: Eduardo Simorangkir
This project incorporates innovations in floating solar panel design. The components used are also selected with great care to minimize the impact on the water quality and environment of the reservoir.
In order for the panels to stretch properly over the reservoir, Sembcorp installed more than 250,000 buoys and around 800 ballast below them. The panels are supported by six different types of floats, all made of food grade certified high density polyethylene to ensure uncompromised water quality. They are also UV resistant and can withstand intense sunlight.
Floating PLTS in Tengeh Reservoir, Singapore Photo: Eduardo Simorangkir
The 60 MW floating PLTS project is now connected to the electricity network and is already operating commercially. This PLTS has a 25-year power purchase agreement with Singapore’s PUB (Public Utilites Board).
The electricity generated from the floating PLTS is used as an energy source to produce drinking water for Singaporeans which is processed from water treatment facilities. This means that all of the country’s waterways are now powered by renewable energy.
Reduced exhaust emissions with the use of PLTS is equivalent to removing 7,000 cars from the road. While its 60 MW peak capacity can generate enough electricity to power around 16,000 4-bedroom HDB homes in Singapore for one year.
Developing alternative energy sources is very important for Singapore. Today, more than 95% of Singapore’s energy mix still comes from natural gas, the cleanest form of fossil fuel.
The country still has a long way to go to double its solar energy capacity to 1.5 gigawatt peak (GWp) by 2025 and 2 GWp by 2030. But solar panels in Tengeh already contribute around 4% of Singapore’s 1.5 GWp target. A real effort to keep the environment clean from a small country in the north of Indonesia.
Floating PLTS in Tengeh Reservoir, Singapore Photo: Infographic Team/Andhika Akbarayansyah
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2023-07-15 00:45:02
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