Singapore’s first virtual power plant

9 February 2021


Hitachi ABB Power Grids has been selected to deploy its energy storage solution to support the development of Singapore’s first virtual power plant project. The project, launched in 2019, is being developed by the Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (ERI@N) and is jointly funded by Singapore's Energy Market Authority and Sembcorp Industries.

Hitachi ABB Power Grids’ e-mesh PowerStore battery energy storage system (BESS) is a critical part of the VPP, providing grid stability by balancing intermittent generation with smart and dynamic loads.

“Singapore operates one of the most reliable electricity networks in the world,” said Nirupa Chander, Country Managing Director of Hitachi ABB Power Grids in Singapore. “This project is a good example of how multiple stakeholders i.e. the government (EMA), academia (NTU), industry (Sembcorp) and technology providers like us collaborate to deliver innovative solutions and accelerate the energy transition for a greener future,” she added.

“Selecting the right technology partner is crucial for the project’s success and we are pleased to work with Hitachi ABB Power Grids, a recognised leader in power technologies,” said Mr Matthew Friedman, Sembcorp’s Chief Digital Officer. “This marks a key milestone in the VPP project, as energy storage is critical to the efficient integration of green energy into Singapore’s power grid,” he added.

“To meet the carbon emission standards of the future, Singapore will have to tap on all renewable energy sources, relying on artificial intelligence and smart solutions to better co-ordinate and manage all its energy sources efficiently,” said NTU’s senior research vp professor Lam Khin Yong. “The Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a key project that will allow efficient modelling and innovative features of these emerging technologies to be validated.” 

The VPP will enable electricity produced from distributed energy resources like solar and other green sources to be integrated intelligently, simulating a utility scale power system. Using real-time information, the VPP will optimise the power output of these resources located across the island. Energy fluctuations resulting from solar intermittency will be balanced automatically via the VPP.



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