Singapore’s first floating power plant with batteries capable of refueling LNG vessels, charging electric harbor craft, and even providing electricity for remote islands is projected to launch in the first quarter of 2024.
The Floating Living Lab, developed on a floating platform by Seatrium at its Pioneer Yard, is the city-state’s first energy storage system (ESS) on water and could provide a future solution to a small island’s needs for energy storage from renewables.
Seatrium’s Floating Living Lab, the first such offshore floating testbed in Singapore.
(Photo: Seatrium)
This is part of a $10 million partnership between the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and Seatrium to create innovative energy solutions in the marine sector, and was announced in April 2020.
The floating lab uses an innovative battery stacking technology that reduces its footprint by 40%, which could be used to address Singapore’s land constraints in supporting the power grid.
It has a maximum storage capacity of 7.5 MWh and can meet the electricity needs of over 600 four-room HDB households for a day in a single discharge.
The energy storage system is integrated with a smart energy management system that utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to boost its efficiency in and energy distribution and operations.
Seatrium’s spokesman said that the floating lab shows what is possible, as the country moves from a highly centralized energy sector anchored by large power plants to a more dispersed system marked by regional renewable power.
Southeast Asia’s first floating and stacked Energy Storage System, with maximum
storage capacity of 7.5 MWh.
Energy storage systems are necessary as the country moves to decarbonize its power sector for renewables such as solar power, which is weather-dependent. Excess power generated during peak periods can be stored for use at other times.
Common energy storage systems are on land. An example of the system is a Sembcorp facility spanning 2 ha of land on Jurong Island.
Other assets on the floating system include LNG bunkering facilities for harbor craft and small vessels, and test infrastructure for charging fully electric vessels.
The company can also use it to work with partners on developing other new technology, such as low or no-carbon fuels for ships and electrification of harbor vessels.
Ngiam Shih Chun, CEO of EMA, said: “Given Singapore’s limited land area, we need innovative solutions for our energy infrastructure such as Seatrium’s floating solution for energy storage.”
