Singapore’s Sembcorp commissions energy storage system

Singapore energy firm Sembcorp Industries has commissioned a 285MWh energy storage system (ESS) on Jurong Island, which it described as southeast Asia's largest ESS.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) appointed Sembcorp in June 2022 to develop the ESS with a contracted capacity to store and deliver 200MW of power for one hour. This will be able to meet the daily electricity requirements of almost 17,000 public housing flats in a single discharge, said the firm.

"ESS is an essential technology to support solar deployment and enhance grid reliability and energy supply security in Singapore, especially with the ongoing volatility in the global energy market," said Sembcorp.

Sembcorp is one of Asia's largest ESS operators, and has a total battery portfolio of 501MW/709MWh in Singapore and the UK.

The commissioning comes ahead of Singapore's first floating ESS that the EMA and shipbuilder Keppel Offshore and Marine expect to complete in 2023.

Demand for ESS has increased in recent years in line with the rapid growth of renewables. South Korean battery producer Samsung SDI sees global ESS demand rising to 100GWh in 2025 from 12GWh in 2019, marking an average growth of more than 40 pc/yr. Such storage systems, which rely on lithium-ion battery technology, can help offset the intermittency of sources like wind and solar by storing electricity for use during times of the day when there may not be much sunlight or wind available.

By Prethika Nair