Pulau Ubin: EMA appoints Singapore-based consortium for micro-grid test bed

Channel NewsAsia 31 Oct 11;

SINGAPORE: The Energy Market Authority (EMA) has appointed a Singapore-based consortium to design, build and operate a micro-grid test-bed incorporating clean and renewable energy resources at the jetty area on Pulau Ubin.

The consortium includes two companies - Daily Life Renewable Energy Pte Ltd and OKH Holdings Pte Ltd.

In a media release on Monday, the EMA said the test-bed will enable it to prepare for a future when renewable energy resources become a more significant part of Singapore's energy mix.

Chief executive of EMA, Mr Chee Hong Tat, added that the micro-grid test-bed is a useful project for Singapore to pilot a solution that will benefit residents and businesses on Pulau Ubin.

He added that if the project is successful, it will help to open up opportunities for Singapore companies to spearhead the adoption of such technologies in the region.

Executive director of Daily Life Renewable Energy, Mr Markson Tang, also said, "This test-bed will showcase how clean and renewable energy can be deployed in an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable manner for an off-grid community."

Consortium partner Mr Marvin Lam, project director of OKH Holdings said, "We are delighted to be part of this significant project, and excited about its potential as a reference site for similar deployments regionally."

- CNA/cc

Pulau Ubin to get clean power next year
Straits Times 1 Nov 11;

RESIDENTS of Pulau Ubin will be able to power their homes with clean energy such as biodiesel and solar power by the end of next year, replacing the noisy and pollutive diesel generators they currently use.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) announced yesterday that a local consortium has clinched the contract to design, build, own and operate a micro-grid test-bedding project on the island.

The consortium is a partnership between clean energy firm Daily Life Renewable Energy (DLRE) and property developer OKH Holdings.

The EMA declined to reveal the cost of the project, but said the consortium was selected via a competitive tendering process that 'took into account the companies' proposed solutions, experience in similar projects and price competitiveness'.

The planned micro-grid is an intelligent system that will harness electricity from clean energy sources and regulate the flow of power to its users.

The EMA's move marks a milestone for the project, which was first announced in 2009. The highly coveted contract initially received 21 bids, out of which nine companies were shortlisted, including Sembcorp Utilities, Tuas Power and General Electric.

DLRE executive director Markson Tang told The Straits Times that the consortium was excited to have won the multimillion-dollar project, which will be co-funded by it and the EMA. His company has successfully implemented more than 40 such micro-grid systems in countries like the Maldives and Vietnam.

Many parts of Asia still do not have easy access to power, and such grids could provide a clean and efficient way of providing communities with energy.

Under the contract, the consortium will provide electricity at a price of not more than 80 cents per kilowatt hour (kwh), lower than the $1 or more per kwh price for diesel generators.

EMA said islanders can then use higher-load electrical appliances such as air-conditioners and refrigerators, enabling businesses to expand operations.

The hundred or so islanders currently rely on their own generators as the cost of laying cables from the mainland is too high.

The first phase of the project, which involves building the infrastructure around the island's jetty area, will be completed by the first half of next year, and residents can expect electricity supply by the end of next year.

EMA chief executive Chee Hong Tat said the test-bed will enable the authority to prepare for a future when renewable energy sources become a more significant part of Singapore's energy mix, and will help the Republic gain an understanding of the impact of using intermittent renewable sources.

'If this project is successful, it will help to open up opportunities for Singapore companies to spearhead the adoption of such technologies in the region,' he said.

JESSICA CHEAM

Micro-grid builders appointed, two more join electric vehicle test-bed
Esther Ng Today Online 1 Nov 11;

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) has appointed a Singapore-based consortium, comprising Daily Life Renewable Energy and OKH Holdings, to design, build and own a micro-grid test-bed, powered by bio-diesel and photovoltaic cells to generate electricity.

"It will help us better understand the impact of intermittent renewable energy sources on our power system, and prepare Singapore for a future where renewable energy sources become a more significant part of our energy mix," said Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran.

Households on Pulau Ubin will benefit from these sources of electricity as it will allow them to use higher-load electrical appliances such as refrigerators and air-conditioners. It will also enable businesses to expand their operations.

The consortium will sell electricity to consumers at S$0.80 per kilowatt hour compared to the price of more than S$1/kWh that some consumers currently pay for using diesel generators.

On the mainland, Renault and Nissan, with the Fluence and Leaf respectively, have joined the electric vehicle (EV) test-bed programme launched in June by the EMA and the Land Transport Authority.

The programme also includes Daimler, Mitsubishi and Bosch.

Participants in the test-bed will have a wider variety of EVs to choose from and the different EV platforms will add to the breadth of the test-bed, Mr Iswaran said.

Fast-charging for Renault cars will be available in mid 2013. ESTHER NG

New energy initiatives launched
Business Times 1 Nov 11;

SINGAPORE gets a new, green energy testing site on Pulau Ubin and two more models of electric vehicles.

These initiatives were announced at the opening of the Singapore International Energy Week. Activities will be held at Suntec City, Marina Bay Sands and Pan Pacific Hotel.

The micro-grid at the jetty area of Pulau Ubin will be a testing ground for clean and renewable energy sources, like biodiesel and solar photovoltaic cells. Electricity will be supplied to residents and businesses on the island north-east of Singapore, which currently rely on noisy and pollutive diesel generators for their electricity needs.

A Singapore-based consortium consisting of OKH Holdings and Daily Life Renewable Energy will build, own and operate the micro-grid.

In the first phase of the project, the micro-grid infrastructure will be readied by H1 2012 before supplying electricity in H2 2012.

The second phase involves adding clean and renewable energy solutions to the micro-grid.

Said Chee Hong Tat, chief executive of Energy Market Authority: 'If the micro-grid test-bed is successful, it will help open up opportunities for Singapore companies to spearhead the adoption of such technologies in the region.'

Two more electric vehicle models - the Renault Fluence and Nissan Leaf - will join their Mitsubishi and Daimler peers on Singapore streets, expanding the variety of models participants get to choose from.