Ground-breaking ceremony for one of Singapore’s largest rooftop solar installations with Dr. Amy Khor, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Yu Tat Ming, CEO PacificLight, and Steve O’Neil, CEO REC Group (right)
Singapore, April 6, 2018 ̶ REC Group, the leading European brand for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, yesterday welcomed illustrious guests to the ground- breaking and contract-signing ceremony for what promises to be one of Singapore’s largest-ever rooftop solar installations. Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Amy Khor, spoke at the event, commending REC’s leadership on climate action in the country, and its pledge to support Singapore’s Year of Climate Action. The new installation on the rooftops of the REC factory in Tuas is projected to go on grid in August, and will be built in partnership with Singapore-based power company PacificLight Energy. In this partnership, PacificLight Energy will build, own and operate the solar installation as part of a blended supply package to REC.
The Tuas installation will feed around 2.6 million kWh annually into Singapore’s electricity grid, enough to power 550 HDB four-room apartments. It will save 1,400 tons of carbon emissions every year – the equivalent of planting 64,000 trees or taking almost 300 cars off the road – and further reduce the already low carbon footprint of REC solar panels.
REC supports Climate Action Campaign in Singapore
Singapore has declared 2018 to be the “Year of Climate Action” – and in his welcome speech, REC Group CEO Steve O’Neil outlined the special responsibility of REC in the country: “As the largest solar manufacturer in Singapore, REC has a key role in climate action. With more than 2,000 passionate employees, 90% of whom are based in Singapore, we are working hard every year to reach our vision: to enable everyone to benefit from electricity directly from the sun. Worldwide, more than 30 million REC solar panels are installed on roofs, ground and water – enough to power 12 million people in homes around the globe.”
O’Neil also announced REC’s pledge to support the Climate Action Campaign by Singapore’s Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. As well as its company pledge, REC also encouraged its employees to make individual pledges on climate action, and 323 have already signed up.
Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Dr. Amy Khor emphasized the need for action on climate change: “Each organization and individual is an agent for change. We need to propagate this message to our network of partners, families and friends to take action today for a sustainable future.” She also praised REC’s leadership, saying, “We want to see more companies think and speak carbon. REC is one of the first few companies to make their climate action pledge. I commend REC for taking the lead and championing climate action through tangible actions.”
Mr. Yu Tat Ming, CEO of PacificLight, said, “Business customers in Singapore are increasingly looking for innovative electricity supply solutions that are both sustainable and cost competitive. We are delighted that REC has adopted our Sustainergy Program, which combines the benefits of solar and conventional power in one simple bundled plan.”
REC in Singapore and worldwide
REC is expanding fast in Singapore. Since 2010, when REC opened the Tuas plant, capacity has grown by 170%. In 2018 REC plans to produce 1,500 MW of modules in the factory. The 4.3 million solar panels produced by REC at Tuas last year can cover an area of 8.6 km2 – the rooftop space of 21,500 HDB blocks in Singapore. Worldwide, REC has now built a total of 7.6 GW of solar panel power, generating 10 TWh and saving 4.3 million tons of CO2 emissions every year.
