Under a contract with Changi Airport Group (CAG), Keppel Ltd. has commenced construction on a large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) system on the roof of Changi Airport’s (SIN) terminal buildings, as well as on its airfield.
This project will see Keppel design, build, own and operate the solar PV system for a period of 25 years.
Once completed in 2025, the solar project will have a combined generation capacity of 43 Mega-Watt peak (MWp).
38 MWp will be installed on the rooftops, making it Singapore’s largest single-site rooftop solar PV system. Meanwhile, the remaining 5 MWp of solar generation capacity will come from a solar PV system installed on a 40,000 metre-squared turf area within Changi Airport’s airfield, outside of aircraft operational areas.
This project marks the first time that a solar PV system is being installed in Changi’s airfield, thus maximising solar potential at the airport beyond conventional rooftops.
Together, the rooftop and airfield solar PV systems are expected to generate sufficient solar energy to power more than 10,000 four-room HDB flats each year. This will see CAG reduce its carbon emissions by approximately 20,000 tonnes annually.
“Notwithstanding Singapore’s limitations with renewable energy sources, CAG strives to make Changi a more sustainable aviation hub through reducing carbon footprint from all practical fronts. We have been addressing the airport’s energy demands at its core, which includes upgrading our frontline airport building and systems with best-in-class energy efficient models and expanding our support for the airport community to switch to cleaner energy vehicles.
“Partnering Keppel in this project, which is Changi Airport’s largest deployment of solar PV system to date and our first foray into solar PV systems in the airfield, we have taken a significant step forward in our decarbonisation journey.”
As part of this undertaking, CAG and Keppel are tackling some of the unique challenges of deploying solar PV systems at airports compared to conventional installations at commercial, industrial or residential sites.
For example, robust simulation had to be carried out to ensure the solar panels do not pose glare and glint effects to air traffic controllers and pilots. It is also important to prevent them from interfering with communications, navigation & surveillance (CNS) and meteorological signals.
In addition, the associated installation and maintenance processes have to comply with aviation safety and security requirements. This includes the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s fire safety code requirements.
“We are excited to be the solutions provider for Changi Airport Group’s solarisation efforts. When completed, this 43MWp landmark solar project will contribute significantly to making the Changi air hub greener and a testament to Keppel’s capabilities and innovation. Going forward, we hope to continue working with CAG to explore more decarbonisation and sustainability solutions.”
To enhance operations, the PV system will be integrated with Keppel’s Operations Nerve Centre (ONC) to offer remote monitoring and real-time reporting of solar generation metrics, as well as advanced fault detection and diagnostics for predictive maintenance.
