Public Utilities Board of Singapore is looking for eligible bidders for a 50 MW floating solar PV project in the Tengeh Reservoir.

The last date for bid submission has been set for September 5, 2019.

Singapore’s Public Utilities Board (PUB), has contracted Norwegian technical consultancy DNV GL for the 50 MW floating solar PV project at the Tengeh Reservoir in the island nation’s northwest region.

The Tengeh Reservoir project has already completed preliminary design, independent energy assessment, technology benchmarking, and business model studies, PUB has informed.

According to the PUB, which is Singapore’s national water agency, this is poised to be Southeast Asia’s largest public tender for floating solar.

DNV GL will act as the technical advisor for the 50 MW floating solar PV project which, upon completion, will be one of the largest single floating solar systems in the world, according to the company’s media statement. DNV GL will work with PUB throughout the tender preparation, bidding, design, construction, and operational phases of the project.

Nicolas Renon, Executive Vice President Asia Pacific for DNV-GL Energy said, “DNV GL has a strong track record in floating PV projects, having worked on close to 800 MW of projects in the Asia Pacific region,”.

he Tengeh Reservoir floating solar PV project is expected to be operational by 2021 and will be used to power the reservoir’s water treatment facilities, eliminating 28,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually in the process.

According to Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA), the country, an island city-state has “no hydro resources, low wind speeds, mean tidal range, and geothermal energy is not economically viable.”  Solar remains the most viable renewable energy option for Singapore, as the country is located helpfully in the tropical sun belt and enjoys an average annual solar irradiance of 1,580 kWh/m²/year.

PUB has also said that it is in the process of implementing two smaller 1.5 MW floating solar PV systems on the Bedok and Lower Seletar reservoirs.

Singapore is making significant strides towards achieving its Paris Agreement commitment, and in such a densely populated country, the emerging technology of floating PV offers an attractive way to optimize the use of space while increasing the level of green energy.

Singapore accounted for 6.7% of India’s imports of solar cells and modules in Q1 2019, totaling $40 million (~₹2.7 billion), making it the second largest solar exporter to India.

Meanwhile, Singapore-based renewable energy firm Sunseap Group recently secured a $43 million green loan from the United Overseas Bank Limited to increase the reach of solar power in the country.

Image Credit: ABB

Soumik is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Prior to joining Mercom, Soumik was a correspondent for UNI, New Delhi covering the Northeast region for seven years. He has also worked as an Asia Correspondent for Washington DC-based Hundred Reporters. He has contributed as a freelancer to several national and international digital publications with a focus on data-based investigative stories on environmental corruption, hydro power projects, energy transition and the circular economy. Soumik is an Economics graduate from Scottish Church College, Calcutta University.