BSP FLAGSHIP SOLAR PLANT RECEIVES ASEAN OUTSTANDING ENGINEERING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2021

Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP) is delighted to receive the ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award 2021. This recognition is for the BSP Flagship 3.3MWp Solar PV Plant by the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organization (AFEO), presented on 3 December 2021 during the 39th Conference of ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organization (CAFEO39) in Brunei Darussalam.

The BSP Flagship Solar PV Plant was launched on April 6, 2021 by His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Brunei Shell Joint Venture Companies.

The plant, located at G11 along Jalan Tengah, Seria, is the second solar plant in Brunei, featuring the latest technology in solar panels. The construction of the plant took over seven months, where almost 7,000 solar panels were installed on the four hectares of land. The 3.3MWp plant produced its first power on March 30, 2021. The solar power generated is equivalent to the electricity consumption of approximately 600 households per year and offsets some of the power used by the BSP Head Office. On a national level, the power generated will contribute towards Brunei’s target of producing 100MW renewable energy by 2025. 

 “As the world shifts towards a low carbon economy, BSP is moving in step with the local and international society in order to sustain its significant contribution to the Brunei economy. This is why we are working towards increasing renewable energy uptake within our operational and non-operational assets. I am thrilled that the BSP Flagship Solar PV Plant has made a lasting impact to the judges, this is truly a well-deserved recognition for the integrated team from BSP and our business partners, and the Bruneians that took on the challenge to deliver a truly exceptional project. Now, the solar plant is also currently operated and maintained by BSP,” shared Agnete Johnsgaard-Lewis, BSP Managing Director and Shell Country Chair in Brunei.

With 90% of the BSP project team made up of locals, the project has been a stepping stone in expanding the Bruneians’ expertise in renewable energy - enabling them to grow their skills in the renewables space and acquire the skills to develop, construct and operate a solar plant.  This reinforces BSP’s contribution to pursue energy diversification and decarbonisation towards becoming a low-carbon nation.

Shirley Sikun, BSP Head of Energy Transition and Business Opportunity Manager of the project, said, ”This award is a great recognition of the engineering skills that we have in BSP. It reflects the diversity in experiences and expertise coming together to deliver the solar plant. As a non-engineer leading this project, I leaned on the advice and recommendations from the asset engineering department to progress the technical aspects of project.”

Present to accept the award on behalf of BSP were Tan Hui Yen, BSP Senior Electrical Engineer and Nicholas Wong, BSP Graduate Electrical Engineer. Nicholas Wong has been working for BSP for 3 years when he started working on the Solar Plant project.

“Being involved in the early planning stages up to the execution has been an eye opener in understanding how a solar plant is built from the ground up.  This wouldn’t be possible without the brilliant minds supporting this project. I believe young individuals need to drive their own development and nurture their latent talents to contribute towards Brunei’s climate goals. This experience made me realise how much more I can contribute to the bigger picture and has no doubt fueled my desire to learn more about the renewable space,” shared Nicholas Wong.

The CAFEO39 is hosted by the Brunei Institution of Surveyors, Engineers and Architects (PUJA Brunei), the awards took place both virtually and on site, following the guidelines in place by the Ministry of Health.

CAFEO39 is a celebration of the achievements and contributions of ASEAN engineers as the forefront of the region’s accelerating growth. AFEO is the home of engineering institutions from its 10 member countries who share the common goal of promoting goodwill and mutual understanding in establishing an ASEAN baseline standard for the engineering profession as well as to facilitate the mobility of ASEAN engineers.