Singapore has been historically dependent on Malaysia for its supply of freshwater. Since its independence in 1965, the Government has made significant attempts to increase self-reliance with the creation of multiple inland reservoirs to store rainwater. Today, these freshwater reservoirs cover approximately 30 square kilometers or about 4% of the land area of the country.
On 17th May 2021, Sembcorp, together with The Public Utilities Board (PUB), announced with significant fanfare the recently commissioned 60MWp (MW Peak) floating solar power project, the “Tengah Floating Solar Farm”. Covering approximately 45 hectares of the Tengah Reservoir in western part of Singapore, the project may not be large but is a significant vector for future development and as a showcase project for Singapore’s energy sector.
We take a holistic look at Singapore’s power market in the first edition of GenRay Reflection and have put forward our views on the reality of the enduring and significant role of natural gas and the practical and technical use of solar as a resource. In particular, it seeks to address the following questions:
- How achievable are the targets under Singapore Green Plan 2030?
- How does the Singapore Power Grid look like?
- Will achieving the Green Plan 2030 solar energy targets move the needle in favour of renewable energy for Singapore?
- Is a 100 percent renewable energy scenario feasible for Singapore?