Sembcorp, PUB open fifth NEWater plant

Latest and biggest NEWater plant will help meet 30% of Singapore's total water demand.

The water management company Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp) and the national water agency, PUB, on Monday celebrated the official opening of the nation's fifth and biggest NEWater plant. The Sembcorp NEWater Plant marks a major step in Singapore’s water sustainability journey with its total capacity of 50 million imperial gallons, or 228,000 cubic metres, of NEWater per day.

Officially opened on Monday by Singapore's Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, the facility, together with the existing four NEWater plants, will enable NEWater to meet 30% of Singapore's total water demand, according to a Public Utilities Board release.

More than 200 guests, including representatives from Sembcorp, PUB, business partners, subcontractors and suppliers, gathered on Monday at the plant to celebrate its official opening. The completion of the entire facility marks two years of successful collaboration between Sembcorp and PUB, as well as with other partner companies and suppliers.

The contract for the NEWater facility was awarded to Sembcorp in January 2008 by PUB under a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative. The sizeable project was delivered in two phases over a two-year period. The initial phase of the plant, totaling 15 million imperial gallons, or 69,000 cubic metres, per day, began operations in 2009.

The Sembcorp NEWater Plant is probably the only large-scale water recycling plant in the world to be housed on top of a water reclamation plant, that is, the PUB-owned Changi Water Reclamation Plant. This is a state-of-the-art used water treatment facility that collects and treats used water from the eastern half of Singapore. The treated used water is then channeled to the Sembcorp NEWater Plant on its rooftop to be further purified into NEWater. This innovative plant-on-plant design facilitates large-scale water recycling, particularly in land-scarce Singapore. The facility’s state-of-the-art microfiltration and reverse osmosis systems are also designed for optimum energy consumption. The Sembcorp NEWater Plant is the winner of the Global Water Awards 2010 Water Reuse Project of the Year, which recognises the water reuse project representing the most significant achievement for the industry internationally.

The successful completion of the NEWater plant strengthens Sembcorp’s track record in water, which now spans eleven operating locations across Singapore, the UK, China, the UAE and Oman. It also enhances Sembcorp’s comprehensive range of capabilities in water, which comprise total water solutions from wastewater treatment for both industrial and municipal clients, water reuse, desalination and water supply. With this, Sembcorp is well-placed to extend its expertise in providing sustainable and eco-friendly water solutions to water-scarce regions around the world.

Introduced in 2003, NEWater, Singapore's own brand of reclaimed water, is ultra-clean, high-grade reclaimed water produced using advanced membrane technologies. A key pillar of Singapore’s water sustainability, it is part of the nation’s long-term water supply strategy, called the Four National Taps, to ensure a robust and sustainable supply of water for all Singaporeans.

This is the second and largest NEWater plant to be designed, built, owned and operated by the private sector, while PUB owns another three plants. This new plant uses the same established and proven NEWater technology pioneered by PUB. NEWater from this plant will meet the same high stringent quality standards as those from the other four NEWater plants.

Including the Sembcorp NEWater Plant, Sembcorp is Singapore's largest water management company with facilities with more than four million cubic metres of water per day in operation and under development.