Keppel Infrastructure is collaborating with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to jumpstart smart grid, clean power, renewables and sustainable environmental technology.

Singapore-based Keppel Infrastructure has entered a master research collaboration agreement with the NUS to bolster its low-carbon energy innovation and translational research and development in smart grid, renewables and clean energy, as well as decarbonisation technologies.

The collaboration will create on the NUS Kent Ridge campus a low carbon living laboratory by test bedding and scaling up the deployment of commercially viable innovations in distributed energy management, integration of solar photovoltaics (PV), thermal energy storage, electrical microgrids, and charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) trials.

This partnership will also provide educational and training opportunities for NUS students, as well as opportunities for open collaboration with other ecosystem players such as start-ups, SMEs and researchers.

Keppel and NUS have jointly identified technologically proven innovations for test bedding, demonstration and adaptation in live environments and system and subsystem integration across various technologies for data collection, analysis and performance validation with intent to accelerate commercial applications. The selected projects are:

• Smart AC-DC hybrid microgrid: This project aims to ease the integration of renewable and distributed energy resources, such as solar PV and EV charging with V2G capabilities into the existing AC grid without disruption to the main power grid. The hybrid microgrid acts as a plug-in for the AC grid and should increase flexibility of diversified power interconnection, leading to greater grid reliability and efficiency.
• Novel EV charging strategies: This project will deploy smart EV charging algorithms to balance the needs and constraints of the existing electrical network, as well as charging demand of and charging cost to EV owners. This should accelerate the emerging readiness of V2G technology.
• District cooling systems (DCS): This is for buildings integrated with thermal energy storage using proprietary phase change materials as an energy storage medium, outdoor cooling technology and intelligent process optimisation. The project will provide district cooling for a sustainable urban district, with energy and space savings, as well as environmental benefits such as the reduction of the heat island effect.
• Desalination: This project will see experimentation and laboratory proof-of-concept on enhanced seawater desalination pre-treatment technology for carbon dioxide sequestration and scalant removal. It will be followed by a potential demonstration at one of the desalination plants operated by Keppel Infrastructure.

“We are redoubling our efforts in sustainability-linked innovation and technology development to sharpen Keppel Infrastructure’s competitive advantage in the low-carbon economy, and to partner and add value to industries and our customers in their green transition,” said Cindy Lim, CEO of Keppel Infrastructure. “To this end, we are excited to forge this significant partnership with NUS to accelerate the commercial deployment of innovative energy technologies, leveraging digitalisation and decentralisation for speed and scale. This is in line with Keppel’s Vision 2030 which places sustainability firmly at the core of the company’s strategy.”

Keppel Infrastructure and the NUS also plan to explore collaboration in other energy and sustainability related areas, such as decarbonisation of industrial emissions and innovative solar projects, as well as technologies and applications of carbon capture, including the use of nature-based products.

“The NUS is very excited to harness our strong capabilities in energy and sustainability research in this collaboration with Keppel Infrastructure to co-create commercially viability for a smooth green transition,” said Chen Tsuhan, NUS deputy president for research and technology. “The NUS Kent Ridge campus will serve as a vibrant living laboratory, where innovations are tested in a realistic operational environment before they are deployed at a larger scale. These technological capabilities will in turn help enhance the climate resilience of our campuses.”

Keppel Infrastructure has a track record of developing energy and environmental infrastructure end-to-end, including power generation assets, waste-to-energy facilities, large-scale district cooling systems, as well as new-water and desalination plants. In Singapore, it operates a 1300MW gas-fired combined cycle power plant and a utility pipe rack and pipeline network on Jurong Island. It is also Singapore’s leading electricity retailer, and the first and largest district cooling systems developer and service provider.

The NUS is Singapore’s flagship university with 17 faculties, schools and colleges across three campuses in Singapore, with more than 40,000 students from 100 countries. It has also established an overseas colleges programme in more than 15 cities around the world.