SINGAPORE – Sembcorp Solar Singapore has won a tender from JTC for a 60ha solar project on Jurong Island that will generate 117 megawatt-peak (MWp).
The wholly owned Sembcorp unit will implement solar technologies on vacant land the size of about 84 football fields and on the rooftops of five of JTC’s buildings, including the Jurong Island Checkpoint and above-ground facilities of the Jurong Rock Caverns.
This is the largest project by capacity awarded by a public-sector agency in Singapore to date, Sembcorp said on Dec 12.
JTC said this deployment will increase the total solar generation capacity on Jurong Island from 25.2 MWp to 142.2MWp – enough to power more than 33,400 four-room HDB flats annually and reduce carbon emissions by over 63,220 tonnes a year.
Most of the electricity from the solar deployment will be exported to the national grid, with the system expected to be ready in the second half of 2025.
JTC and Sembcorp Solar will also develop a virtual power plant solution for the island to help integrate data from solar and energy storage systems.Through real-time data monitoring, analytics and optimising energy assets, the virtual power plant will allow for energy management and increase the efficiency and flexibility of the main grid.
Mr Tan Chee Kiat, JTC’s chief sustainability officer, said: “This award marks a pivotal step towards maximising solar deployment on Jurong Island. For a collective effort, we are actively promoting solar adoption, making solar deployment easy for the companies on Jurong Island.”
The agency said that, to date, 20 companies on Jurong Island have adopted the use of solar energy. The tender, which was launched in December 2022, will also support the additional demand for solar from another 12 companies on the island.
Through JTC’s SolarRoof programme, companies can install solar panels on the roofs of their buildings and in open carpark spaces with zero upfront capital outlay. This will help it achieve its aim of producing 900MWp through solar power by 2030.
Mr Tan said: “JTC is also exploring innovative strategies to efficiently manage energy resources and reduce operational carbon emissions on Jurong Island as part of our efforts to transform it into a sustainable energy and chemicals park in support of the Singapore Green Plan 2030.”
Correction note: Sembcorp Solar has clarified that the new solar deployment system is expected to be ready in the second half of 2025, not in the second half of 2024 as previously stated.
