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Sunseap Completes One of World’s Largest Offshore Floating Solar Farms in Johor Straits

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Sunseap Group, Singapore’s leading solar energy provider, announced that it has completed the installation of one of the world’s largest floating solar farms on sea water in the Straits of Johor. It is hoped that the successful building of the five MW-peak offshore floating photovoltaic (OFPV) system will lead to more OFPV projects in the region as land-scarce countries tap offshore solar as part of their renewables strategy.

Sunseap said the floating solar farm at Woodlands took close to a year to set up amid movement restrictions during the Covid-19 lockdown. It involved a total of 13,312 panels, 40 inverters and more than 30,000 floats. The installation is expected to produce an estimated 6,022,500 kilo-watt hours (kWh) of energy per year, potentially offsetting an estimated 4,258 tonnes of carbon dioxide, bringing Singapore closer to decarbonisation.

The solar farm is equipped with electrical panels, control systems and a 22kV transformer. It is also a landing point for the subsea cable that transmits the generated power to the national grid. The floating PV system is designed with a robust constant tension mooring system that is able to withstand changing weather conditions, keeping the platform and all of the operational equipment on board steady. There is also an air-conditioned second deck that doubles-up as a visitor centre and viewing gallery.

Mr Frank Phuan, co-founder and CEO of Sunseap Group, said: “We are very pleased to announce the successful completion of Singapore and Sunseap’s first offshore floating photovoltaic system.

“This is an important milestone for Sunseap as we believe that offshore space like the sea, reservoirs, lakes etc., offers exciting opportunities for land-scarce and densely populated cities to tap solar energy. They are places that are unobscured from the sun and with low risks of vandalism or theft.

“We believe that we at Sunseap have honed our experience and expertise in offshore floating PV systems from the completion of this project and are well placed to help our clients access this new frontier for solar energy.”

Sunseap said the Woodlands project was more challenging compared to other land-based or rooftop installations due to the unpredictable nature of open sea, the need to avoid shipping routes and the presence of barnacles. Marine expertise was also required for mooring installation and system design.

Furthermore, the Covid-19 lockdown last year posed an additional challenge as foreign workers hired by Sunseap’s contractor were unable to leave their dormitories. Mr Phuan said: “I am so thankful to many members of our team who rolled up their sleeves to fill in the gap during this period. Their professionalism and esprit de corps were key to the successful completion of the project in the face of the numerous challenges.”

Kimberly-Clark Switches On One of Singapore’s Largest Solar Roofs at Tuas

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Earlier this year, Kimberly-Clark Corporation switched on one of Singapore’s largest solar energy installations at its manufacturing facility in Tuas, which produces Huggies diapers and baby wipes. 7,730 photovoltaic panels mounted on its roof will generate 3.5 Gigawatt hours of clean energy, enough to power up a thousand three-bedroom HDB flats for a year.

With this investment, renewable energy will now replace 15 percent of conventional energy use at the plant, reducing Green House Gas emissions (GHGs) by approximately 1,600 metric tons per year. This is equivalent to removing nearly 350 passenger cars from roads annually.

Kimberly-Clark’s Tuas plant has a long track record of reducing its environmental footprint. In 2016, it launched an in-house wastewater treatment plant that recycles 75 percent of the water used in its wet wipes production. Since 2017, it has partnered with Ngee Ann polytechnic researchers to find utility for material waste generated during its production process, as part of its broader efforts to re-use or recycle 100 percent of its waste.

At a ceremony held to inaugurate its solar roof, Achal Agarwal, President, Kimberly- Clark Asia Pacific, said “Our manufacturing operations in Singapore have long been recognized as a leader in environmental protection. Switching on this solar roof marks a new milestone in our sustainability journey and accelerates our progress towards our goal of achieving a 20 percent reduction in GHG emissions globally, by 2022.”

Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Singapore’s Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, was the guest of honour at the inauguration. He said, “I am glad to see enterprises such as Kimberly-Clark Corporation step up efforts to adopt renewable energy. Sustainable development is not just central to the mitigation of climate change and protection of the environment. When thoughtfully incorporated, it can benefit business operations and reduce costs in the long run.”

The solar roof panels were installed in partnership with Singapore-based solar energy provider Sunseap, which has played an instrumental role in the development of many grid-connected PV systems, pioneering the solar energy movement in Singapore.

“We are pleased to work with Kimberly-Clark in their efforts to go green. As the leading integrated clean energy solutions provider in Singapore, we encourage all companies to look for ways to be environmentally friendly in their business. There are various measures companies can take to reduce their carbon footprint including tapping renewable energy for their operations and going paperless in their day-to-day work,” said Frank Phuan, CEO and Executive Director, Sunseap Group.

Sunseap Group Launches New Subsidiary Called Sunseap Solutions

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Sunseap Group, Singapore’s leading integrated clean energy solutions provider, recently announced the launch of its newest fully-owned subsidiary, Sunseap Solutions Pte Ltd.

The new entity provides integrated efficient energy solutions through energy audits, Green Mark consultancy and energy performance contracting. Sunseap Solutions’ energy performance contracting focuses on LED lighting retrofits.

This will eventually expand to include other forms of M&E equipment (e.g. chiller plants, pumps and lifts). Under the energy performance contracting scheme, lighting retrofits will be fully financed by the Sunseap Group and clients will co-share the energy savings. The equipment will be maintained and warrantied by Sunseap Solutions during the contract period.

Sunseap Solutions also offers the full range of Optigreen green roof solutions and components. The launch of the new business unit is part of Sunseap Group’s plan to provide all-rounded sustainable solutions for its clients. The Group’s other entities are Sunseap Leasing, which provides rooftop solar solutions to the masses, Sunseap International, which is responsible for the group’s regional activities outside of Singapore, and Sunseap Energy, Singapore’s largest clean energy retailer.

Mr Laurence Kwan, Director of Sunseap Energy, said: “We are excited that the Sunseap Group is about to embark on the next phase of its development with the formation of Sunseap Solutions. We are now able to provide the full spectrum of green solutions to our clients with the convenience of a single point of contact.

“This is in line with the Group’s vision of providing affordable sustainable solutions to the masses and is an important step to decarbonising.”

To date, Sunseap has more than 160 megawatts (MWp) of contracted solar project capacity in Singapore, which has been deployed or is in the course of being deployed. Some of its clients include Apple, Housing Development Board, Singapore American School, Raffles Institution, the United Technologies Group and ABB.

Regionally, it is also one of the largest and most established players in the solar energy industry. It has a pipeline of projects in Cambodia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Australia, including a 168 MWp solar farm in Vietnam, the largest in the country, a 62 MWp utility scale farm in the Philippines and a 10 MWp utility scale farm in Cambodia.

Microsoft And Sunseap Sign Agreement On Largest-Ever Solar Project In Singapore

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Singapore has, in recent years, been recognised as a highly attractive market in the world for infrastructure investment.

Microsoft Corp. recently announced a new agreement with Sunseap Group that marks Microsoft’s first clean energy deal in Asia and will create the single-largest solar energy portfolio in Singapore to date.

This 60 megawatt-peak (MWp) solar portfolio will span hundreds of rooftops across the nation. This is the largest rooftop solar project in Singapore and the first rooftop solar portfolio in the country focused on serving datacenter energy consumption.

“Our cloud services are helping to power Singapore’s digital transformation, and today’s agreement will ensure that transformation is increasingly powered by clean energy,” said Kevin Wo, managing director, Microsoft Singapore. He added: “We’re proud to work with Sunseap, the leading solar provider in Singapore, to support the growth of the local clean energy economy. With the agreement, Microsoft will improve the sustainability of our local operations and make important progress toward our corporate sustainability goals for datacenters.”

The investment in local solar energy builds on decades of Microsoft investment in Singapore and throughout the APAC region. Since it began operations in Singapore in 1990, Microsoft has sought to create local opportunity, growth and impact and supports the government’s efforts to make Singapore a smart, green and liveable city. Singapore is also home to Microsoft datacenter services that deliver Microsoft Azure, Office 365 and numerous other cloud services for customers.

Lawrence Wu, co-founder and president of Sunseap, said, “We see exciting potential in our partnership with Microsoft to raise awareness within the tech industry of the importance of adopting renewable energy solutions. Their investment in Singapore solar indicates a growing momentum for clean energy in the country and will further the positive ripple effect for organizations in Singapore to incorporate sustainability practices in their businesses.”

Through a 20-year agreement, Microsoft will purchase 100 percent of the renewable energy attributes exported to the grid. This landmark agreement also marks progress for Singapore in the renewables sector. The agreement also solidifies Sunseap’s unique position in the energy markets.

“This deal is Microsoft’s first renewable energy deal in Asia, and is our following two wind deals announced in Ireland and The Netherlands in 2017,” said Christian Belady, general manager, Cloud Infrastructure Strategy and Architecture, Microsoft. “We’re on track to exceed our goal of powering 50 percent of our global datacenter load with renewable energy this year. Once operational, the new solar project will bring Microsoft’s total global direct procurement in renewable energy projects to 860 megawatts.”