IES Pilot Launch

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) has spearheaded a pilot project for an "Intelligent Energy System" (IES). Announcing the launch on 19 November 2009 during the Smart Grids 2009 Summit, as part of the Singapore International Energy Week, Mr Lawrence Wong, Chief Executive of EMA, said, "With this pilot, we will lay the foundations for an even more intelligent energy system in Singapore. We will bring the capabilities of our power grid to the next level and ensure that our electricity infrastructure is ready for the future".

Why have an IES Pilot?

Across the world, governments and companies are looking at ways to modernize their electricity transmission and distribution networks with new information, communication and sensor technologies. Singapore already has a high-quality power system, which is amongst the most reliable in the world. Nevertheless, there is scope to leverage on new technologies to further improve the capabilities of our power grid. This pilot project represents a first step in the move to develop a smarter grid for Singapore.

What we want to achieve?

The IES pilot project seeks to test and evaluate new applications and technologies around a smart grid. The success of the IES pilot project will enable EMA to adopt and roll out workable solutions for Singapore’s power system, thereby enhancing its efficiency and resilience, reducing wastage, shaving peak loads and deferring capital investments to meet consumer demand in the future. This will also lead to lower energy costs and reduce carbon emissions.

Who will be involved?

As the IES pilot project will incorporate different new applications and technologies around a smart grid, it is envisaged that several companies will be involved in the pilot project. We envisage that a Consortium Lead will assemble a consortium of companies to provide the various applications and technological solutions required for the IES pilot project, and manage the implementation of these different systems as a systems integrator.

EMA has issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the implementation of the IES pilot project. Four companies have been short-listed as Consortium Leads:

1. Accenture Pte Ltd
2. IBM Singapore Pte Ltd
3. Logica Singapore Pte Ltd and
4. Siemens Pte Ltd

Companies interested to take part in the IES pilot project can approach any of the short-listed Consortium Leads to explore possible opportunities to be involved in the RFP. The RFP has closed and EMA is currently evaluating the proposals.

In order to test different technologies and evaluate their benefits, EMA has separately called an open tender to procure about 4,500 smart meters to be used in the IES pilot project. The tender document can be downloaded from the Singapore government e-procurement portal GeBIZ. The tender has closed and EMA is currently evaluating the proposals.