Singaporean water utility in push for 50MW-plus floating PV

June 6, 2019
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
PUB's floating solar move comes after the utility had institute SERIS test the technology on Tengeh (Credit: SERIS)

Singapore could host in two years one of the largest floating PV plants seen worldwide under plans unveiled this week by a national water utility.

Government-owned PUB will launch this Friday a request for proposals for private players to design, build, own and operate a 50MW plant on the Tengeh Reservoir, in western Singapore. 

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Announced after World Environment Day, the scheme is scheduled for completion in 2021. The final installation, the size of 45 football pitches, will power PUB’s water treatment plants.

According to the water utility, the system represents 28,000 tonnes in annual CO2 savings and is set to outperform conventional rooftop PV counterparts by 5-15%.  

The flagship 50MW project will, PUB explained, be joined by an additional, smaller two arrays on the Bedok and Lower Seletar reservoirs, further to Singapore’s east.

At 1.5MW each, the duo should wrap up construction early next year after tender contracts are awarded in Q3 2019, the utility added.

The 50MW scheme is being billed as the first large-scale floating PV project in Singapore. The Asian city-state is home to research institute SERIS, which is already testing the emerging technology for PUB at the Tengeh Reservoir.

Beyond Singapore, the floating sector continues adding milestones as it grows from the 1.1GW market size recorded last year.

So far in 2019, schemes have marked progress in China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Cambodia, South Africa, Malawi, the Seychelles, California, Portugal, Albania and the Netherlands, among others.

Read Next

October 16, 2025
Masdar and Turkey have entered the final stage of US$1 billion agreement to develop the 1.1GW plant in Bor, Niğde Province, central Turkey.
October 16, 2025
US utility-scale solar additions grew by 56% in 2024, reaching 30GW from 2023’s 19GW and representing over 54% of all new electricity generation capacity added in the country last year.
October 16, 2025
Jakson Green and Blueleaf Energy have reached financial close for the 840MWp Bikaner solar projects in Rajasthan, western India. 
October 16, 2025
Off-grid solar company Sun King has revealed plans to set up manufacturing operations in Kenya and Nigeria.
October 15, 2025
Wood Mackenzie has warned of a supply bottleneck as the renewable energy shift drives a spike in global copper demand over the next decade.
October 15, 2025
A report by IRENA and others has highlighted the need for yearly renewable energy deployments to almost double between now and 2030.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK