Singapore’s EMA announce demand flexibility initiatives

These encourage businesses to voluntarily reduce their power usage.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) is set to launch three new initiatives that will push for demand flexibility, encouraging consumers to adjust their electricity usage based on grid needs.

According to EMA, the initiatives focus on enhancing the Demand Response (DR) programme and enable Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to participate in the programme.

A study commissioned by EMA saw that over 400 megawatts (MW) of demand flexibility potential is untapped in Singapore. Commercial sectors, such as those reliant on heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning, show potential for load shifting, whilst certain industrial processes, like those involving gas production, offer opportunities for rescheduling operations to off-peak times.

“By enabling business consumers more opportunities to play an active role in demand response, we can strengthen the resiliency of the power system,” said EMA Chief Executive Puah Kok Keong.

Businesses with BESS with nameplate rating below 10 MW can apply to EMA by 28 February 2025 to participate in the DR programme. 

According to EMA, BESS can help businesses be more energy efficient by shifting consumption from peak to off-peak times and participating more often in DR programmes. EV charging operators can also contribute to DR by coordinating charging speeds across multiple stations or using battery storage.

EMA is working with ComfortDelGro via a regulatory sandbox to pilot the participation of the latter’s EV charging stations in the DR programme. This will explore how ComfortDelGro’s network of nearly 1,000 charging stations can adjust charging volumes during DR events, helping to balance demand and supply in the electricity grid.