Three Shell service stations in Tampines, Pasir Ris, and Lakeview will soon be powered by clean energy and provide fast charging for electric vehicles (EVs). The Energy Market Authority (EMA) and Shell have jointly awarded a research grant to a consortium led by local solar company Eigen Energy Pte Ltd (Eigen Energy) to develop Singapore’s first series of service stations integrated with smart energy management solutions by 2022. These three service stations are part of Shell’s growing network of EV charging points across the island.
These efforts support the Singapore Green Plan 2030[1], which outlines Singapore’s efforts to almost quadruple our solar energy deployment by 2025 to 1.5 gigawatt-peak (GWp), and support the growth of EVs by doubling the number of EV charging points from 28,000 to 60,000 by 2030.
The selected service stations will be powered by solar photovoltaic (PV) panels installed onsite and integrated with energy storage systems (ESS) to mitigate intermittency due to weather conditions. When deployed, the EV chargers will be among the fastest available to the public in Singapore, up to three times faster than the existing Shell Recharge[2] 50 Kilowatt (kW) rapid DC chargers, depending on the vehicle model. A smart energy management system will also be deployed to integrate and optimise the various resources onsite (i.e. solar PV systems, battery ESS and EV chargers).
Mr Ngiam Shih Chun, Chief Executive of EMA, said, “As Singapore scales up solar deployment and electric vehicle adoption, we need innovative and creative ways to enable these sectors to grow. This project utilises smart energy management systems to integrate energy storage systems and electric vehicle charging points powered by renewable energy. We look forward to co-creating more of such solutions with the industry for a more sustainable Singapore.”
“As the drive towards a lower carbon future intensifies, Shell is supporting the country’s push towards more sustainable development by offering faster EV charging which would provide drivers with more choices in decarbonisation. By 2030, we aim to have an extensive network of electric vehicle charging options for our customers, all within a short drive, from their home, workplace or when they are on the go,” said Ms Aw Kah Peng, Chairman of Shell Companies in Singapore.
Findings from the project will also be applied to improve safety and lower the compliance cost of future ESS deployments in Singapore. The consortium will be developing an enhanced fire-rated battery container with improved fire resistance to store the ESS. The container will also be equipped with sensors to detect abnormalities in temperature and pressure and react quickly against any potential battery fires. More details of the project can be found in the Annex.
This smart energy management solution project is part of a multi-year partnership between EMA and Shell to develop innovative energy solutions and grow local capabilities in the areas of energy storage and digitalisation. The project was started under the ‘Living Lab’ programme by the Shell City Solutions business – a business set up to boost collaborations among city stakeholders to navigate the energy transition. Shell will also be looking into pilots on smart charging, microgrid and virtual power plant technologies.
This project is also supported by Enterprise Singapore under the Open Innovation initiative leveraging lead demand from government agencies and corporates. The initiative aims to assist Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups to collaborate and undertake innovative projects with industry players, to help them develop commercially viable solutions and build track record.
Annex: Details of Project
[1] Media release to the Singapore Green Plan 2030 is available at: https://www.greenplan.gov.sg/resource-room/2021-02-10-press-release-on-green-plan
[2] In August 2019, Shell was the first company to launch EV charging services (Shell Recharge) at service stations in Singapore and South East Asia, offering on-the-go charging to motorists. More details at: https://www.shell.com.sg/media/2019-media-releases/shell-launches-singapores-first-electric-vehicle-charger-at-service-stations.html
