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

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

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

Not ready to commit yet?
  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

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

August 29, 2025
Chinese module maker JA Solar has launched DesertBlue, a PV module designed for desert and semi-arid regions. 
August 29, 2025
US grid interconnection agreements grew by 33% in 2024, reaching 75GW, with three-quarters signed for solar PV and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects, according to a new report from energy market analyst Wood Mackenzie.
August 29, 2025
Meridian Energy and Nova Energy have established a JV to build and operate a 400MW solar plant in Rangitaiki near Taupo in New Zealand.
August 28, 2025
State-owned firm Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has launched a tender for the construction of a 280MW floating PV (FPV) project.
August 28, 2025
Indian solar manufacturing firm INA Solar has broken ground on its fourth 4.5GW cell production plant in Narmadapuram, Madhya Pradesh.
August 28, 2025
Boviet Solar has completed exterior construction work on its 3GW PV cell manufacturing facility in Greenville, Pitt County, North Carolina. 

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines