Sembcorp Tengeh Floating Solar Farm

The Sembcorp Tengeh Floating Solar farm is one of the largest inland floating solar PV systems in the world. With over 122,000 floating solar panels spanning 45 hectares, the 60MWp solar farm is a significant stride towards quadrupling the nation’s solar energy deployment by 2025.

Opened by PM Lee Hsien Loong in July 2021, the commencement of the solar farm’s operations marks a significant step towards enduring energy sustainability in water treatment, making Singapore one of the few countries in the world to have a 100% green waterworks system.

100% Green Waterworks System

The electricity generated from the solar farm will be sufficient to power Singapore’s five local water treatment plants, offsetting about 7% of PUB’s annual energy needs and reducing PUB’s carbon footprint. This is equivalent to powering about 16,000 four-room HDB flats and reducing carbon emissions by about 32 kilotonnes annually, the same as taking 7,000 cars off the roads.

Innovative design with sustainable materials

The Sembcorp Tengeh Floating Solar Farm was carefully designed to minimise impact on the reservoir’s water quality, flora and fauna. Sufficient gaps between solar panels were incorporated to improve the airflow and allow sufficient sunlight to reach aquatic life. Additional aerators were also put in place to maintain oxygen levels in the reservoir.

The project also incorporated new innovations in floating solar PV design and construction. Every component of the system was carefully designed and selected based on Singapore’s climate conditions. These include double-glass PV modules instead of the single-glass variant commonly used for rooftops installations, to enhance durability in a wet and humid environment. The PV modules are supported by certified food-grade quality high density polyethylene (HDPE) floats which are UV-resistant to prevent degradation from the intense sunlight exposure.

Use of smart technologies to enhance operations

To optimise performance and reliability of operations, the system is backed by a digital monitoring platform which features safety cameras, ‘live’ video monitoring, dashboards and alerts that help to track environmental factors such as wind speed, solar irradiation and ambient temperature. The system also detects abnormalities that may indicate potential overheating and fire hazard for preemptive troubleshooting. Staff will be able to monitor the system remotely via a mobile application which allows maintenance teams to be swiftly deployed when required.

First in the world to deploy electroluminescence imaging technology on a utility-scale project

Partnering with Quantified Energy Labs, a technology spinoff from the National University of Singapore, this project is also the first in the world to deploy advanced drone electroluminescence imaging technology on a utility-scale PV system. Drone electroluminescence imaging captures X-ray-like signals emitted by PV modules to accurately and rapidly pinpoint defects that could be caused by a variety of factors from the manufacturing to installation stage. Identifying and replacing defective modules from the start has ensured that the PV system is running in optimal condition.

Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp) is a leading energy and urban solutions provider, driven by its purpose to play its part in driving energy transition towards a low-carbon future responsibly.

Headquartered in Singapore, Sembcorp leverages its sector expertise and global track record to deliver innovative solutions that support the energy transition and sustainable development.

Sembcorp has a balanced energy portfolio of 21.3GW, with 13.8GW of gross renewable energy capacity globally*. The company is also an urban developer with a portfolio spanning over 14,000 hectares across Asia and has a proven track record of transforming raw land into urban developments.

Sembcorp is listed on the main board of the Singapore Exchange. It is a constituent stock of FTSE Russell Index, MSCI Singapore Index, Straits Times Index as well as sustainability indices including the FTSE4Good Index and the iEdge SG ESG indices and several MSCI ESG indices. For more information, please visit www.sembcorp.com.

* Total gross capacity assumes 100% ownership of assets, including projects secured and under construction, and an acquisition pending completion.