SembMarine to install 4.5 MWp solar system at Tuas yard with SP Group

SEMBCORP Marine (SembMarine) will install solar panels and an energy storage system at its Tuas Boulevard Yard that is expected to reduce the amount of electricity its steel fabrication facility (see amendment note) consumes from the grid by 30 per cent during peak production periods.

The system, built in collaboration with grid operator SP Group, will enhance the workshop's sustainable production of steel components used for ship hulls and topside structures, said both firms in a press release.

Installation work is expected to start early next year and will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2018.

The solar energy system will have a capacity of 4.5 megawatt-peak (MWp), and will deliver up to 5.38 gigawatt-hour of energy every year - equivalent to the consumption of almost 1,120 four-room flats (see amendment note). It will also feature energy storage capabilities, energy sensors and a real-time digital platform to monitor, analyse and optimise energy usage in the yard.

It will also reduce SembMarine's carbon emissions by 2,500 tonnes a year, similar in effect to removing 530 vehicles from Singapore's roads.

"As a major energy consumer, Sembcorp Marine is investing proactively in solutions for sustainable operations that reduce our carbon footprint even as our yard activities expand and grow," said SembMarine president and CEO Wong Weng Sun said.

"With the implementation of a digital energy-saving system at Tuas Boulevard Yard, we are taking an important step towards this end, and we look forward to integrating other innovations into our sustainability efforts over time."

Amendment note: The piece has been revised to reflect that the 30 per cent reduction in electricity consumption from the grid is only for Sembmarine's steel fabrication facility, and during peak production periods. SP Group has also clarified that the 5.38 GWh of energy produced in a year can power 17,000 four-room flats in a month. The piece has been revised to reflect this is equivalent to the consumption of 1,120 four-room flats in a year.

The headline has also been changed to reflect that the system size is 4.5 MWp, and not 4.8 MWp.