More solar panels to be rolled out in MRT stations, train and bus depots
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The solar panels will be installed at Buona Vista MRT station, Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, Sengkang Depot and Tuas Bus Terminal, among others.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
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SINGAPORE - More MRT stations, train and bus depots will have solar panels installed on their rooftops to cut carbon emissions.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that solar leasing firm Sunseap Leasing will install the panels in more than 10 places.
This includes Buona Vista MRT station, Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, Sengkang Depot and Tuas Bus Terminal, among others.
The solar panels will provide solar capacity of up to 7.9 megawatt peak (MWp) or up to 8.5 gigawatt-hours a year, equivalent to supporting the charging needs of up to 113 single-deck electric buses for a year.
The panels will be rolled out within 12 months from the date of handover of the sites by public transport operators.
In March 2022, the LTA called a tender to deploy solar panels on land transport infrastructure including the upcoming Integrated Train Testing Centre (ITTC) in Tuas, MRT stations, transport depots, and pedestrian overhead bridges and covered linkways.
But it picked Sunseap to install solar panels only at certain MRT stations, train and bus depots.
In response to queries, an LTA spokesman said it has gained “useful insights” from the tender bids for the ITTC and will reassess its operating and financial model for the deployment of solar photovoltaic systems there.
The LTA may call for a new tender in the future, depending on the outcome of the review, he added.
The spokesman also said that it would be challenging to deploy solar panels on covered linkways and pedestrian overhead bridges due to constraints like limited roof areas and shading from nearby foliage and buildings.
“LTA will continue to look for suitable land transport infrastructure sites to deploy solar photovoltaic systems while balancing cost-benefit considerations,” he said.
In March 2022, LTA said the installation of solar panels would support its existing plans to achieve the solar energy deployment targets of 16 MWp by 2025 and 25 MWp by 2030.
Singapore has set a goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Land transport is the third-largest source of Singapore’s greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 15 per cent of the national total.
