Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) (
www.ntu.edu.sg) has deployed its first ‘long-span’ wind turbine at Semakau Landfill, as part of Singapore’s drive towards sustainable energy solutions.
At 14 storeys high, the turbine has three 10.5m rotor blades and produces 100kW (enough to power 45 homes). It can operate in wind speeds from 3 to 20m/sec.
In partnership with French multi-national electric utility company ENGIE, the new turbine is part of NTU’s Renewable Energy Integration Demonstrator (REID), with several hybrid microgrids due to be developed in the coming years, producing enough energy to power 100 homes.
Along with the wind turbine, each microgrid will integrate with renewable-energy sources such as solar, tidal, diesel, and power-to-gas technologies.
Each of the microgrids is expected to produce around 0.5MW of stable and consistent power, which is suitable for small islands and isolated residential areas — and for emergency power supplies.
Managed by NTU's Energy Research Institute, the REID initiative is expected to attract $20 million worth of projects over the next four years, in addition to the initial $10 million investment in infrastructure at the landfill.