Energy Market Authority awards S$14.9 million in grants to strengthen power grid

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) in Singapore has distributed S$14.9 million in grants to four industry projects aimed at improving grid resilience. These projects focus on enhancing the maintenance and operation of grid infrastructure, ensuring system stability, and managing the impact of growing distributed energy resources like solar panels and electric-vehicle chargers.

SP PowerAssets received S$8.7 million for two projects under the SP Technology Laboratory, a collaboration between EMA and the national utilities company SP Group. These projects will utilize artificial intelligence and data to optimize maintenance and renewal decisions for grid infrastructure, as well as test solutions for managing voltage and power quality as more distributed resources connect to the grid.

Yokogawa Engineering Asia was awarded S$4.2 million to develop fast-response services aimed at maintaining grid stability. The project will explore how various resources, including batteries, solar inverters, industrial loads, and electric vehicles, can be coordinated to support the grid after sudden disturbances to the power system.

Green Union, a solar solutions provider based in Singapore, received S$2 million to create strategies that better coordinate distributed energy resources, thereby strengthening grid resilience and maximizing the use of existing infrastructure. All four projects will be overseen by EMA's Advanced Energy and Decarbonisation Office, as part of a larger research and development portfolio centered on decarbonization efforts.

EMA CEO Puah Kok Keong emphasized the need for the power grid to adapt to Singapore's evolving power system, stating that these projects will help develop and test practical solutions to improve grid maintenance, enhance system stability, and better leverage distributed energy resources.