Sunseap recently completed another floating solar array in Singapore (Sunseap)
Plans for the world's largest floating solar power and energy storage system were unveiled. The system, estimated at 2 billion US dollars, is being developed by the Sunseap Group from Singapore in cooperation with the operators of a free trade zone in Indonesia in Badan Pengusahaan Batam (BP Batam) and installed on the island of Batam.
As part of a letter of intent between the two organizations, Sunseap will develop the floating photovoltaic system (FPV) and the ESS energy storage system. The FPV is said to have a capacity of 2.2 GWp and extend over around 1600 hectares, making it the largest FPV in the world to date. The ESS is also said to be the largest ESS with a storage capacity of more than 4000 MWh. Construction is scheduled to start in 2022 and completion is scheduled for 2024.
Sunseap expects the solar park to generate more than 2,600 GWh of electricity annually, potentially offsetting more than 1.8 million tons of carbon per year. According to the company, this corresponds to taking more than 400,000 cars off the road each year.
The floating solar panels will be installed on a former saltwater bay that has been converted into Duriangkang Reservoir, the largest reservoir in Batam. With a volume of 101.2 million m3, the reservoir supports more than 50 percent of Batam Island's fresh water supply.
Frank Phuan, Sunseap's co-founder and chief executive officer, highlighted several features of the floating plate design, similar to what the company recently completed in Singapore. “We believe that floating solar systems will go a long way in overcoming the land restrictions urbanized parts of Southeast Asia face when using renewable energy.”
The floating solar panels reduce evaporation and thereby keep more water in the reservoir. At the same time, the water also keeps the solar panel cool, allowing the panel to generate more clean energy, creating a synergistic relationship.
Sunseap is also planning to set up a Sunseap Academy in Batam, which will take care of the hiring and skills transfer of more than 3,000 people who are involved in the construction of the solar park.
Sunseap said the energy generated and stored will provide uninterrupted solar power around the clock. Some of the green energy is consumed within Batam, while the rest can potentially be exported via a submarine cable to Singapore, which is 30 miles from Batam.