Four applicants have been shortlisted from an earlier pre-qualification exercise to submit their proposals for the desalination plant. They are Keppel Infrastructure Holdings Pte Ltd, Sembcorp Utilities Pte Ltd, Tuas Power Ltd, and YTL Power International Berhad.
The plant is to be built on Jurong Island under a Design-Build-Own-Operate (DBOO) arrangement by 2020, adding another 137 000 cubic metres of desalinated water (mgd) a day to Singapore’s water supply.
The desalination plant will be co-located within the successful applicant’s existing facility such as a power plant or steam generation plant on Jurong Island, so potential synergies in resources such as seawater intake and outfall structures or energy can be derived.
“Desalinated water is a key pillar of Singapore’s water supply strategy. As a source of water that is independent of rainfall, it bolsters the reliability of our water supply against prolonged periods of dry spells and droughts,” said Young Joo Chye, PUB’s Director of Engineering Development and Procurement.
Singapore currently has two desalination plants with a combined capacity of 100 mgd. A third desalination plant is expected to be completed in Tuas by 2017, and the fourth in Marina East by 2020.
Desalinated water is expected to meet up to 30% of Singapore’s future water needs by 2060.
The successful applicant will also enter into a 25-year water purchase agreement to supply desalinated water to PUB.