SP Group (SP), a leading utility group and sustainable energy solutions provider in Singapore and Asia Pacific, announced its investment in its first batch of agrivoltaic assets in Guangdong province, China.
With a total installed capacity of 78 Megawatt-peak (MWp), the project will integrate solar photovoltaics (PV) with 7.8 Megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery energy storage systems across four existing agricultural sites in Dabu County, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province.
The solar-plus-storage model will improve the stability and resilience of the power grid with the capability to support periods of high electricity demand and tight electricity supply.
When completed at the end of this year, the project is expected to contribute 91.3 Gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean electricity annually to the power grid and help Meizhou avoid over 91,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The clean energy generated will help the region reduce the usage of coal by close to 30,000 tonnes and reduce annual sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 2,700 tonnes and 1,360 tonnes respectively.
To optimise asset yield and performance, the project is enhanced with digital energy management solutions to manage solar generation and will monitor the usage and storage of solar power based on intelligent insights and data.
Agrivoltaics involves the strategic co-location of agriculture activities with solar energy generation infrastructure. The dual use of land will retain its agricultural production capability and meet net-zero targets. This novel system offers multiple benefits to local farmers, the community, and the environment. It removes the perceived conflict between solar development and prime agriculture land to drive solar expansion at scale; offers rural farmers the opportunity to diversify their income source; has the potential to enhance crop yield; and increases green energy supply towards China’s climate ambitions of achieving peak carbon use by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.
Mr Michael Zhong, Managing Director, China, SP Group said, “The symbiosis of solar photovoltaic systems and the agricultural sector offers great potential for us to support China’s clean energy transition and to uplift local communities. As part of our long-term commitment to China, we will actively explore and invest in innovative and diversified sustainable energy opportunities to expand our footprint across China, driving sustainable development and decarbonisation for its cities and districts.”
SP Group currently has a renewable energy and district cooling portfolio in China that spans 13 provinces including Anhui, Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Shanghai, Shandong and Zhejiang.
