Bird & Bird ATMD involved in Singapore's First Utility-Scale Energy Storage System

Partner Sandra Seah and Consultant L Kuppanchetti advised the Singapore energy regulator, the Energy Market Authority (EMA), and the SP Group on the appointment of two Singapore-led consortiums to implement the city-state's first utility-scale Energy Storage System (ESS). This co-funding scheme is one of the first undertaken by EMA. Under the scheme, CW Group and Red Dot Power will receive about S$17.8 million in grants for the initiative to develop the test-bed.  

The test-bed is expected to be operational for three years at two substation locations in the north and north-eastern part of Singapore. These will have an aggregated capacity of 4.4 MWh, equivalent to powering more than 330 four-room HDB flats for a day. In Singapore, energy storage could support the deployment of intermittent generation sources like solar by reducing peak demand, and providing regulation reserves. The ESS technologies deployed, including redox flow and lithium-ion batteries, will be evaluated for their performance under Singapore’s hot and humid environment. The test-bed will also help establish clear technical guidelines for ESS deployment (e.g. grid connection and safety requirements for installation).

Findings from this initiative will help the Singapore government catalyse the use of ESS in Singapore. Energy storage will facilitate greater deployment of solar, and help Singapore move one step closer towards the target of achieving 1GWp of solar beyond 2020, further reducing its carbon footprint.