EMA grants $7.8m to boost energy storage research in Singapore

The awarded projects were selected for their scalability and relevance to the city-state's energy needs.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) has awarded $7.8m in grants to two companies for research projects aimed at improving the cost-effectiveness and space efficiency of energy storage systems (ESS).

ESS are crucial for integrating solar energy as it store and discharge electricity to address the intermittency of renewable sources and help prevent power supply disruptions. The awarded projects were selected for their scalability and relevance to Singapore’s energy needs.

Posh Electric will conduct a trial using sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), which could offer a cheaper alternative to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to sodium's greater natural abundance. VFlowTech will explore the feasibility of placing ESS underground to minimize land use.

The project will also test a hybrid battery system that combines lithium-ion and vanadium-flow technologies, focusing on safety parameters such as fire safety.

"As Singapore expands solar deployment, energy storage systems will become more important to enhance grid resilience and ensure power system stability," said Puah Kok Keong, chief executive of EMA.