Technology firm Hitachi ABB Power Grids has been selected to provide its energy storage solution for Singapore’s first virtual power plant.

Hitachi ABB Power Grids will provide its e-mesh PowerStore battery energy storage system to ensure the stability of the grid network. The system will be used to balance intermittent generation with smart and dynamic loads.

The virtual power plant project was launched in 2019 by the Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University and jointly funded by Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) and Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp).

The virtual power plant will use energy generated from distributed energy resources including solar and wind, integrate it intelligently into the main grid and ensure the stability of the grid.

Nirupa Chander, country managing director of Hitachi ABB Power Grids in Singapore, said: “Singapore operates one of the most reliable electricity networks in the world.

“This project is a good example of how multiple stakeholders i.e. the government (EMA), academia (NTU), industry (Sembcorp) and technology providers like us collaborate to deliver innovative solutions and accelerate the energy transition for a greener future,” she added.

Mr Matthew Friedman, Sembcorp’s chief digital officer, adds: “This marks a key milestone in the VPP project, as energy storage is critical to the efficient integration of green energy into Singapore’s power grid.”

NTU’s senior vice president of research, Professor Lam Khin Yong, reiterates: “To meet the carbon emission standards of the future, Singapore will have to tap all renewable energy sources, relying on artificial intelligence and smart solutions to better coordinate and manage all its energy sources efficiently.

“The Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a key project that will allow efficient modelling and innovative features of these emerging technologies to be validated.”