The pilot PV system consists of three circular platforms, which will have an installed capacity of 1.5 MWp when deployed in the seawater surrounding Jurong island. The circular reinforced membranes for the PV panels ensure the lowest material usage of any floating PV system, enabling a lower Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) as well as resource conservation. The system is easy to deploy and install, and features increased efficiency from direct water cooling.
Keppel Infrastructure’s wholly owned subsidiary, Keppel Energy Nexus has been awarded a grant from the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and JTC, to pilot Singapore’s first membrane-based nearshore floating solar photovoltaic (PV) system at Jurong Island.
Compared to the conventional floating PV systems used in Singapore in calmer water bodies such as reservoirs, the membrane-based PV system is designed based on floating PV specialist Ocean Sun’s technology to harness solar energy reliably amid stronger waves and rougher sea conditions in a nearshore marine environment. This is achieved by attaching solar panels directly onto large circular reinforced membranes protected by a high-density polyethylene pipe structure surrounding the membrane, which creates a stable and safe platform.
