Future of the Grid: Crafting Smarter, Greener, and More Resilient Energy Systems

Bold and innovative initiatives can power the future of Singapore’s grids.

This year's Future of the Grid, Singapore’s only grid-focused event, set the stage for examining the rapidly evolving landscape of energy transition, infrastructure innovations, and technological advancements. Richard Lim, Chairman of the Energy Market Authority (EMA), shared key insights and initiatives that shed light on Singapore's journey towards a sustainable and resilient energy future. Here are three key takeaways from his Keynote Address:

1. Singapore is making progress towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

   One of the pivotal takeaways from Mr Lim's Keynote was Singapore's commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. He outlined several significant steps taken by the nation, including:

   • Strengthening energy infrastructure. Singapore is ensuring a robust natural gas supply and expanding power generation capacity to meet future electricity demand.

   • Achieving a solar energy milestone. The country has crossed 1 gigawatt-peak (GWp) in solar installed capacity, and is on the way to achieving its 2030 target of 2GWp.

   • Importing low carbon electricity. Conditional Approvals have been awarded for 4GW of low carbon electricity imports by 2035, sourced from neighbouring countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia.

   • Exploring low carbon alternatives. Singapore is actively looking into low carbon alternatives, including ammonia and geothermal energy. The country is taking the next steps for ammonia power generation through a Request for Proposal to select a lead developer for the project.

2. Unlocking grid intelligence and resilience with digitalisation.

   Mr Lim shared that Singapore’s grid is poised to become more complex with the inclusion of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) such as rooftop solar panels, energy storage systems, and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

   To prepare for this future, he emphasised that the first imperative is to make Singapore's grid smarter and more resilient. This would take advantage of advances in digital and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. He shared additional updates on:

   • Digital Asset Twin. SP Group, in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University, is developing a Digital Asset Twin. This cutting-edge system will employ in-house engineered sensors and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven analytics to enhance early detection of grid asset anomalies. SP Group aims to deploy a pilot by 2025, and apply the technology to grid assets across its 12,000 substations.

   • Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS). Likewise, SP PowerGrid is advancing the next phase of its pilot programme for DERMS. The upcoming phase will  focus on improving solar forecasting and capacity building to prepare for the expected growth in EV adoption.

3. EVs as flexible energy assets

   Among other initiatives, Mr Lim highlighted the potential of EVs "as flexible assets in the future". Singapore is exploring ways to leverage these assets to provide grid services, including:

   • Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) solutions. Some of these EVs could participate in V2G systems, where electricity stored in an EV's battery could be supplied back to the grid during periods of high energy demand.

   • V2G technology testing. Mr. Lim announced that the EMA and the Singapore Institute of Technology have awarded a grant to test-bed V2G technology. The project aims to study the viability and potential for larger-scale deployment of V2G systems.

Mr Lim's Keynote revealed Singapore's unwavering commitment to a sustainable and resilient energy future. With clear steps towards net zero emissions, grid modernisation, and the potential of EVs as grid assets, Singapore is at the forefront of clean energy innovation—ensuring a brighter and cleaner future for all.

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