X s ._ prime.news _ S'pore to develop ‘future’ power grid Experimental energy grid on Jurong Island a ‘living lab’ for research on new technologies 1 By Rosin Cuan ‘THE world’s largest experimental energy grid, and the first in South-east Asia, is being developed on Jurong Island ‘The $38 million venture aims to make Singapore a “living laboratory” where firms from around the world can develop, test-bed and implement poten- tially lucrative new eneray technologies. For instance, research done there could mean fu- ture power grids wil be able to take energy from al- temative sources such as solar cells and wind tur- ines ‘And owners of electric cars of the future could be ble ose any surpls energy back to these power irids. ‘The venture is being led by A*Star's Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (Ices), which will form partnerships with companies to develop ‘these “smart” power grids-f the futur. Yesterday, local companies SP PowerGrid and CBI Contract Manufacturing signed formal agree- ments to work at the centre, while engine maker Rolls-Royce and wind turbine giant, Vestas, signed letters of intent for future collaboration. ‘The new Experimental Power Grid Centre (EPGC) will consist of a 0.47ha research facility on Jurong Island, set to be ready in the second half of next year, and a remote command and control cen tre at Fusionopolis - already up and running - for energy simulations. The centre will employ 20 to 25 people, including 15 PhD holders and researchers. ‘A¥Star hopes to have 10 large companies working in partnership with the new centre by the time itis, ‘up and running, said: Prof Low Teck Seng, deputy ‘managing director for research at A*Star. Ministry of Trade and Industry Permanent Secre- tary Ravi Menon said many grids around the world are not equipped for new demands being placed on them. ‘These demands include integrating renewable en- ergy sources, the rising use of different sources of power in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sec- tors, and consumer demand for more information, choice and control in their energy use. “Meeting these demands will require new tech- nologies and system-level solutions,” said Mr Me~ non, guest of hononr at the groundbreaking ceremo- ny. ‘The facility isto be built for $25 million by a Mei- den Singapore-led consortium at the Ices premises ‘on Jurong Island. It will have a one megawatt capacity, making it the world’s largest such experimental power grid centre. Similar research centres, mainly in the Unit- ed States, Europe and Japan, have capacities of about half that ~ less than SS0kw. ‘One megawatt of electricity can power 1/2 oF ‘two HDB blocks, said SP PowerGrid’s deputy man- aging director of planning and strategy, Mr Jimmy Khoo. Dr Keith Carpenter, Iceé executive director, said the grid needed this large capacity. “If you are look- ing at a (power) system to feed a region or a housing estate, then you're talking about this sort of scale.