The VDE Group, through its subsidiary VDE Renewables Asia, celebrated its 10-year presence in Singapore and launched its state-of-the-art battery testing lab on 11 March 2019. High-ranking representatives from the government and industry attended this event.
Testifying to VDE’s decade-long work in Singapore and the region, the program featured top-level speakers from the government, represented by Mr. Oliver Fixson, Minister Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to Singapore; long-term customers, REC Solar, represented by Shankar Sridhara, CTO, and Rolls Royce, represented by Dr. Amit Gupta, Chief of Electrical Capacity Group (ECG) – Asia; insurance partner Munich Re, represented by Michael Schrempp, Global Head of Green Tech Solutions, Special Enterprise Risks; and valued partner Siemens, represented by Prof. Dr. Armin Schnettler, Senior Vice President, Research in Energy and Electronics.
Prototyping requirements of the ESS sector
Ansgar Hinz, the VDE Group’s CEO, officially opened its new state-of-the-art battery testing center. The lab not only supports necessary certification processes for all relevant global standards for battery and energy storage systems, but also focuses on supporting the R&D and prototyping requirements of the fast-growing and dynamic ESS sector. Moreover, based on the established partnerships between VDE and world-leading investment and insurance firms, the battery testing lab offers tailored energy storage and e-mobility systems testing to support risk mitigation and meet individual bankability criteria coming from these stakeholders. The guests were given a comprehensive tour around the testing center at the end of the program.
Since the Singapore office opened in 2009, VDE has supported industry, policies and market supervision in Singapore and Southeast Asia. VDE started by offering high-quality solutions for quality assurance and certification of photovoltaic modules and systems. In the last two years, the company expanded to batteries and energy storage, supporting the research and development, prototyping and testing needs of the industry. More recently, it has started offering its expertise in critical issues of the future such as digital technologies and cybersecurity.
In all its activities, VDE works with key stakeholders such as the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Energy Market Authority (EMA) to further expand the "bridge" between Singapore and Germany, and also support the development of Singapore as the leading hub in South East Asia for the high quality development and commercialization of the clean tech industry.
Industry and policymakers congratulate
“Our heartiest congratulations to VDE Renewables for its 10th year anniversary in Singapore. We are pleased to have the company’s energy storage testing and certification lab be part of our growing clean energy ecosystem. Singapore is proud to play a pivotal role in VDE Renewables’ growth strategy to capture opportunities in the region. We wish them all the best in their future endeavours.” said Mr. Damian Chan, Executive Director, Energy, Chemicals and Materials, EDB.
The close cooperation between VDE and Singapore is also evident in the active organization and participation in the annual Singapore International Energy Week since 2012 with the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS). The VDE Financial Dialogue was the successful product of this joint cooperation. In the first Dialogue, the focus was to create awareness within government and industry on the risk minimization and bankability criteria for solar photovoltaic modules and power plants; this has since evolved to forward-looking topics like the importance of the digitalization in the energy sector and the increasing risks in the IT and cybersecurity sector, which was on the agenda last October 2018.
Through its team of experts and newly opened battery testing center in Singapore, VDE is well-positioned to serve the demands of the ever-changing and innovative clean tech sector in Asia.
