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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.”

Sunseap and Tenaga Nasional to Form Partnership to Import Clean Energy from Malaysia to Singapore

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Sunseap Group, Singapore’s leading solar energy provider and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Malaysia’s largest electricity utility, recently confirmed today that they are intending to forma joint venture to participate in the trial by Singapore to import electricity from Malaysia. The JV will import 100 MegaWatt (MWac) of electricity to be generated from renewable energy sources. If successful, the JV between Sunseap and TNB will invest in multiple solar farms across Malaysia and tap other forms of clean energy, such as hydroelectricity from TNB’s existing plants, to ensure a reliable and stable supply of power into the Republic.

In October 2020, the Energy Market Authority(EMA) announced the trial as part of Singapore’s strategy to diversify the country’s energy supply by tapping regional power grids for cleaner energy resources. The trial aims to assess and refine the technical and regulatory frameworks for importing electricity into Singapore. This would help to facilitate larger-scale imports from the region in future. The electricity to be imported by the JV could account for about 1.5% of Singapore’s peak electricity demand, and could begin as early as end-2021 via the existing electricity interconnector between Singapore and Malaysia.

Mr Frank Phuan, Co-Founder and CEO of Sunseap, said, “We are pleased to partner Tenaga Nasional to contribute to Singapore’s long-term efforts to power our future through clean and green energy sources. This partnership will expand our capabilities as a leading sustainable energy provider in the region and advance our mission of bringing affordable, reliable and clean energy to our customers in Singapore, especially in the data centre space.”

Datuk Ir. Baharin Din, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tenaga Nasional Berhad, said, “Following our successful investments in the UK RE businesses through Vortex Solar and TenagaWind Ventures, the partnership with Sunseap is an important piece to continue our ongoing international RE expansion strategy. This partnership provides a solid regional platform with the capabilities, capacity and network to grow our RE and utility businesses in Southeast Asia.”