AirTrunk and Blue Whale Energy explore a more flexible grid

Turning distributed storage into measurable grid support

The study will identify suitable sites, assess battery sizing and model the potential impact on the network. A central question is whether a distributed battery network can provide dependable support that grid operators and regulators can measure and assess.

“Our study will examine where flexibility is needed, how it could be delivered reliably, and how its contribution to the grid could be measured,”

Katherine Tjandra, Energy Transition Director at AirTrunk, in the company’s announcement.

The work will focus on establishing that evidence.

A wider role for data centres

The collaboration sits within a broader discussion about how data centres could contribute flexibility to the electricity systems they rely on. In his post about Blue Whale Energy’s work with AirTrunk and DayOne, investor and board member Tiang Lim Foo highlighted the potential for data centres to anchor distributed battery networks, while stressing the engineering, controls and reliable performance still to be proven.

For the AirTrunk collaboration, the immediate focus remains practical: understanding where distributed batteries could help, how to coordinate them reliably, and how to assess their value to the network.

Sharing the findings

AirTrunk and Blue Whale Energy intend to share the study’s findings in a joint whitepaper. If the approach proves effective, it could offer another way to manage local network constraints in Singapore, with potential relevance to other power-constrained markets.