ENGIE inaugurates a SPORE (meaning Sustainable Power for Offgrid REgions) platform on Semakau island, off the coast of Singapore. In collaboration with Nanyang Technological University’s Energy Research Institute and Schneider Electric, the site is aimed to become a living lab, used by ENGIE and its partners to test different renewable technologies including green hydrogen, provide training and demonstrate that a 100% renewable microgrid is possible. This platform strengthens ENGIE’s purpose to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral economy and is a key milestone for the group’s Research & Development initiatives.
Realised under the local “Renewable Energy Integration Demonstrator” (REIDS) initiative, the project consists of a state-of-the-art, multi-fluid microgrid solution that generates 650 kW of electricity. ENGIE’s REIDS-SPORE is a platform disconnected from the Singapore mainland and energy self-sufficient, with different renewable energy sources and storage solutions integrated together. It boasts the largest wind turbine in Singapore, as well as a hydrogen full chain for electricity and mobility.
This SPORE platform will enable to address the issue of accessing green energy in remote areas. It is set to be a living lab used by ENGIE Group to test and develop different kinds of low carbon solutions in real, tropical conditions, and prepare their deployment at a larger scale. Moving forward, it could serve as a learning centre for industry and professionals to learn about these new technologies.
190 million euros are invested each year by ENGIE in Research & Development, with a strong research focus on renewable energy. The Semakau project will be the first of a series of R&D test-beds that will be set up by ENGIE across Southeast Asia.
Shankar Krishnamoorthy, ENGIE’s Executive Vice President in charge of Strategy & Innovation, Industrial Development, Research & Technology, and Procurement said:
“This REIDS-SPORE platform lies at the heart of the energy transition that ENGIE is leading. It is a tangible demonstration of how we can accelerate our energy transition via smarter, greener and more accessible grid solutions, and demonstrates the relevance of a renewable and self-sufficient energy system, capable of satisfying electricity needs everywhere in the world.”
REIDS is a programme of the Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, which began in 2015 and whose aim is to collaborate with industrial partners to design, demonstrate and test solutions for sustainable and affordable energy access in Southeast Asia, as well as the future of urban electricity distribution.
