Large-Scale Solar Deployment Part of Sustainability Goals for 2030
Sentosa and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) are set to implement a large-scale solar panel installation across the island starting this month, as part of their ambitious plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. The installation will take place at 18 key sites, including Palawan Kidz City, Beach Station, Universal Studios Singapore, and Hard Rock Hotel, as announced by Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) on June 15.
This initiative is the first significant milestone under the refreshed Sustainable Sentosa roadmap, introduced in September last year. The roadmap sets a goal for Sentosa to become a carbon-neutral destination by 2030 and a globally recognised, certified sustainable tourism hub. In addition to solar power, Sentosa is exploring other renewable energy sources, such as tidal energy and waste-to-energy systems, with pilot projects underway to assess their feasibility.
Solar Panel Tender and Site Selection
As part of the solar deployment, SDC has launched a tender for the installation of solar panels at various locations, marking the first time in Singapore that rooftops with varying tenures have been consolidated into a single tender. The project will include seven sites such as Palawan Kidz City, Beach Station, and three Sentosa Line cable car stations. This approach aims to optimise the commercial viability of the tender, expanding the available space for solar energy generation.
The sites were chosen based on their solar exposure and minimal disruption to guest experience. SDC’s CEO, Thien Kwee Eng, highlighted solar energy as one of the most viable renewable sources for Sentosa and Singapore. The challenge, she noted, lies in optimising underutilised spaces to unlock the full potential of solar energy.
RWS Expands Solar Network
Separately, RWS will install solar panels at 11 of its own locations, including rooftops at Universal Studios Singapore and Hard Rock Hotel. These installations, along with an additional site at RWS’s warehouse at Pandan Green Gardens, will expand RWS’s solar network, already one of the largest in Singapore’s hospitality sector. Collectively, the solar panels at the 18 locations will cover approximately 2.5 hectares, generating a total capacity of 3.094 megawatt-peak (MWp).
When fully installed by 2023, the solar panels will produce 3,871,500 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy annually, resulting in a reduction of 1,643 tonnes of CO2 per year—equivalent to the carbon emissions from 60,000 hotel room nights. RWS CEO, Tan Hee Teck, emphasised that this transition to renewable energy is crucial for combating climate change and is central to RWS’s decarbonisation strategy. Their goal is to accelerate the adoption of next-generation renewable energy sources, such as wind, tidal, and kinetic energy, through research and test-bedding, paving the way for broader scalability within the resort. This initiative is part of RWS’s broader commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.
