Singapore Military Commissions First Solar Farm At Sembawang Air Base

Singapore has taken a significant step in expanding renewable energy within critical infrastructure with the completion of its first solar farm at a military base. The solar farm at Sembawang Air Base was officially launched on January 30 and marks the first such installation within a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) facility. Completed in December, the project helped the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and SAF achieve their previously announced target of 50 megawatt-peak (MWp) of solar capacity.

Alongside the launch, Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing announced a new, higher target of reaching 68 MWp of solar output by the end of next year. He highlighted that the Sembawang project supports Singapore’s broader national goal of strengthening energy resilience by diversifying energy sources and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. While acknowledging the limitations of solar energy in land-scarce Singapore, he stressed that every additional contribution to clean energy generation plays a meaningful role.

Installing solar panels at an operational air base posed unique challenges, particularly around safety and aviation operations. Detailed glare analysis was conducted to ensure that reflections from the panels would not affect pilots. The panels were carefully positioned with specific height, direction, and tilt angles, and placed away from key operational zones. Additional structural measures were also taken, with foundations built deeper than standard designs to withstand helicopter downwash, as the base houses all of the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s helicopter squadrons.

The solar farm will deliver about three-quarters of Sembawang Air Base’s planned 18 MWp solar capacity by the end of this year, with the remainder coming from rooftop installations. Once fully operational, the solar infrastructure is expected to offset much of the base’s energy demand, generating enough electricity to power around 4,700 four-room HDB flats annually and potentially saving up to S$1.9 million in energy costs each year.