The photo is sourced from ema.gov.sg
The system is part of a smart grid management system, which also includes photovoltaic panels. Batteries will help balance the power grid load at the peak demand, which at the Pasir Panjang terminal is irregular: a lull period, when containers are not unloaded at the port, is replaced by periods of intensive operation of cranes and tractors transshipping cargo from tankers to the land. The system will also be used partially for electricity storage and supply to the Singapore general power grid. The experience of using batteries will be used in implementation of the Singapore megaproject Tuas, which will be the world’s largest automated container terminal by the beginning of the 2040s.
“The electricity demand will increase in the next decade as the level of electrification rises. The introduction of innovative demand-balancing technologies, such as smart energy management systems and energy storage systems will help us optimise power supply and distribution,” EMA quotes in its press release Jeanette Lim, Director of industry development at the Energy Market Authority. “Innovative digital solutions… will play an important role in raising the efficiency and sustainability of power systems.”
Energy storage is one of the fastest growing industries in the global energy industry. In 2015 global investments in the industry development amounted to $2 billion, they increased to $9 billion by 2021 and will reach $18 billion by the end of 2022, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). At the same time, in Asia, their volume increased from $1 billion to $4 billion and $8 billion, respectively. The boom of regional renewable energy sources (RES) was an important driver, with Asia accounting for 60% of the increase in global wind and solar capacity within 2015-2021 (619 GW out of 1,030 GW) as it follows from the estimates of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The desire to stop high dependence of RES on weather conditions has stimulated investment in energy storage.
