F1 Singapore Grand Prix

THE Singapore Grand Prix will notch another first - adding to its claim to fame as the world’s inaugural Formula One night race.

The Republic will be the first F1 venue with a pilot green project by MotorSports Green Powered (MSGP) at the Sept 27 race. Backed by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, MSGP launched the initiative to help the motorsports fraternity balance its energy consumption.The move is the latest in F1’s efforts to brand itself as a more environmentally-conscious sport.

The energy consumed within pit buildings, temporary facilities within the circuit park and track lighting can be offset by the natural energy produced from the MSGP production centres.The renewable energy will be derived from natural sources like the sun, wind, water, geothermal and tidal sources and osmosis.

The pioneer MSGP production centre will be built in Singapore within the next few months. The location has yet to be confirmed.

Over 500 megawatts were consumed during last year’s Singapore race.The amount for this year’s grand prix is expected to be slightly lower, because less testing is needed.

Typically, MSGP production centres will need 40 days to generate the energy required to balance 400-500 megawatts of energy.

Should the pilot project take off, there are plans to open several such centres around the world.

Developed by Italians Valerio Maioli and Alessandro Leoni, the MSGP project aims to complete testing by next year and offer the majority of big motorsports events in 2011 an opportunity to have zero energy impact.

Maioli, the designer and consultant of the lighting system for the Singapore race, said that the project “represents a crucial milestone in the environmental development of motor racing”.

Added the Italian, who has over 40 years of experience in industrial and motor-sport telecommunications and lighting systems: “The secret is to balance the ‘good’ energy from the production plant with the ‘bad’ energy consumed during races, so one cancels the other out.

“The FIA (International Automobile Federation) is already taking a step in the right direction by encouraging teams to be more energy efficient and it should not stop there.”   - Valerie Chia, The Strait Times