PacificLight Power is now in discussion with the Energy Market Authority (EMA) to enable tenants in the district to participate in the authority’s existing Demand Response programme, said its deputy general manager of business development, Mr Thomas Lim.
The programme enables electricity customers to voluntarily reduce or shift their consumption at periods of high demand to other times of the day and receive an incentive payment. This reduces the need for additional power generation, which is often reliant on fossil fuels, hence lowering carbon emissions.
Currently in the design phase, the smart grid is jointly developed by JTC, EMA and the Public Sector Science and Technology Policy and Plans Office under the Prime Minister’s Office.
While there are other smart grids in Singapore, such as Pulau Ubin’s microgrid and port operator PSA’s smart grid management system, no one here has built a district-level smart grid like the PDD with multiple tenants and users.
Mr Liew said the PDD smart grid project serves as a test bed for the technical and business feasibility of implementing on-site power generation and virtual power plants at a district level.
“There is potential for this to be scaled to other districts based on the test bed’s success,” he added.
The business park spaces and mixed-use buildings, occupying a total of 12ha, will be fully constructed by the first quarter of 2025 and tenants will start moving in from the middle of the year.
“PDD is a living lab where companies can test their systems in an operational business park setting. The smart grid not only generates, transmits and stores energy efficiently, it also serves as a platform for testing innovative solutions to advance our sustainability goals,” he added.