In 2021, G8 used the MTB system for a floating substation for local sustainable energy provider Sunseap Group’s offshore solar farm in the Straits of Johor. (The group is now known as EDPR APAC, following an acquisition by parent company EDP Renewables in 2022.)
With the system, it took about two weeks to build and assemble the substation, compared to the three months or more it would have required traditionally.
The company aims to apply for a patent every year, and has filed two so far, including one for the MTB, while the other is for a novel floating solar panel design.
Mr Tan credits EnterpriseSG for its support in helping fund G8’s R&D and patent applications. “We want to improve our products and technical delivery, and EnterpriseSG has been very helpful in this area. There is still so much space for innovation in our industry, and therefore openings for local companies.”
Looking ahead, G8 aims to expand in the United States where the interest in offshore renewables is on the rise. It established an office in Rhode Island earlier this year, after joining an EnterpriseSG-organised trade mission to the state in 2022, to learn about new opportunities and meet potential local partners.
