Sembcorp Floating Solar Singapore and Singapore’s national water agency PUB officially opened the country’s first large-scale floating solar farm at Tengeh Reservoir on July 14, as reported by CNA on the same day. The Sembcorp Tengeh Floating Solar Farm occupies an area of 45 hectares with 122,000 solar panels and has a planned duration of 25 years. With a capacity of 60 megawatt-peak (MWp), this is also one of the world’s largest inland floating solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

The Sembcorp Tengeh Floating Solar Farm will generate enough electricity to power five local water treatment plants, powering about 16,000 four-room flats and reducing the need to emit carbon dioxide by 32 kilotons every year. According to PUB, unlike traditional rooftop solar panels, floating solar farms are 5% to 15% more efficient because water can contribute cooling effects and floating panels are not impacted by shading from other buildings. The floating solar PV at Tengeh Reservoir is also said to have no significant impact on wildlife or water quality.

Singapore has set its goal to quadruple solar energy deployment by 2025 as part of the Singapore Green Plan 2030. The installed capacity of Singapore’s existing solar energy systems has grown almost seven times from 2015 to 2020, contributing to around 1% of the country’s electricity demands today. The goal is for solar energy to power 350,000 households annually by 2030, which is around 3% of Singapore’s total projected energy consumption. Innovations like floating solar farms are crucial to achieving these climate goals, as emphasized by the Prime Minister at the Tengeh Reservoir solar PV launch ceremony. Other floating solar PV projects, including ones at Lower Seletar Reservoir and Bedok Reservoir, are also scheduled for completion later this year, supporting Singapore’s transition to green energy.

Sources:

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/tengeh-reservoir-floating-solar-farm-officially-opens-15217646

https://www.greenplan.gov.sg/

http://energy.bernama.com/news.php?id=1982245

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/solar-shines-as-singapores-energy-alternative-international-collaboration-is-key