20,000 'green collar' jobs

Jessica Cheam Straits Times 25 Feb 10;

SINGAPORE'S burgeoning clean technology industry is to boast a cutting-edge green business park that will help create 20,000 'green collar' jobs by 2030.

Plans for the 50 ha park in Nanyang Avenue, to be built in three phases for $52 million, were unveiled by industrial landlord JTC Corp and the Economic Development Board (EDB) on Thursday.

The park will feature green technologies such as stormwater recycling, solar power generation and buildings with the highest standards of environmental performance set in a lush green landscape.

The park will also serve as Singapore's first large-scale integrated development allowing firms to test-bed cleantech products and solutions - especially those catering to the tropics - before they are commercialised for the market.

JTC chief executive Manohar Khiatani said that infrastructure works on the park's first phase, spanning 17 ha, will begin in July. Due for completion by 2018, it will offer 425,000 sq m of built-up space.

The park is located next to the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), which will be the park's first tenant. When completed, the park will house some 20,000 workers on a site set to offer one million sq m of business space.

Infrastructure cost of CleanTech Park amounts to S$52m
May Wong, Channel NewsAsia 25 Feb 10;

SINGAPORE : The first eco-business park in Singapore and the region will start construction in July 2010, and the infrastructure will cost some S$52 million.

These details were announced on Thursday at the unveiling of the masterplan for the CleanTech Park.

Developing clean technologies and conducting research in the sector will be some of the key activities at the new CleanTech Park.

Located just across from the Nanyang Technological University, the new business park will occupy an area equivalent to the size of 50 football fields.

CleanTech Park will be developed in three phases over 20 years, housing 20,000 people when ready by 2030.

Manohar Khiatani, CEO, JTC Corporation, said: "Singapore has identified the clean technology industry as a new growth area. Globally it is a growth area and particularly it is a growth area in Asia. So we think Singapore is well placed to host some of the activities of the clean technology industry.

"The kind of cleantech development activities that Singapore is more suited for are those related to the tropical climate, because we see a lot of innovations in clean technology today are happening in temperate climates.

"So Singapore has that unique ability at the unique location in the tropics. And a lot of urban solutions are actually related to clean technologies.

"So we think that the CleanTech Park can serve as a unique living laboratory to develop solutions for the tropics in an urban environment."

The first phase of development for the CleanTech Park in Singapore will start in July this year and be completed by 2018.

For a start, the park will generate up to 5,000 jobs. One unique feature of this park is that trees along the entire area will be conserved and that eco-buildings will be constructed all around it.

This will be Singapore's greenest and most sustainable business park.

The CleanTech Park has other unique green features like the sky trellis constructed between buildings to provide shade, and water from the park can be reused for irrigation or toilet flushing.

According to the park's developers, there has been keen interest from companies.

Tan Choon Shian, deputy managing director, Singapore Economic Development Board, said: "We expect a wide range of companies...some from cleantech sector, cleantech would be energy...environment...water, could be waste management.

"But beyond the cleantech sector, we believe the rest of the economy, they will be interested to participate in the green business or position themselves as green business in terms of corporate social responsibility. We are quite confident that this park will find its tenants."

The cleantech industry is expected to contribute S$3.4 billion to Singapore's GDP, employing 18,000 people by 2015. - CNA/ms

Eco-Business Park to house a working population of 20,000 by 2030
- JTC and EDB unveil masterplan for CleanTech Park
JTC Press Release 25 Feb 10;

Singapore, 25 February 2010 JTC Corporation (JTC) and the Economic Development Board (EDB) jointly unveiled the master plan for the 50 hectare CleanTech Park at Nanyang Avenue. As Singapore’s first eco-business park, CleanTech Park will be the choice location for forward-looking corporations that have embraced environmental sustainability as a means to differentiate their business and also as part of their corporate social responsibility. This development will push the boundaries of green sustainability, serving as a large-scale integrated “living laboratory” for testbedding and demonstration of system-level clean technology solutions.

2. CleanTech Park will house a core nucleus of cleantech activities to serve as an epi-centre for research, innovation and commercialization in clean technology. Building on the synergies of being located next to Nanyang Technological University (NTU), CleanTech Park will also house R&D activities from the university. This will foster a conducive environment which promotes collaborations between industry and academia, and unleashes the economic potential created from these collaborations.

3. The development of CleanTech Park will be carried out in 3 phases over 20 years. Phase 1 will commence in July 2010, starting with the development of the infrastructure within CleanTech Park. When completed, Phase 1 will provide approximately 17 ha of business park land. CleanTech Park will house a working population of 20,000 when it is fully built by 2030.

4. Speaking at the unveiling of the master plan for CleanTech Park, CEO of JTC Corporation (JTC), Mr Manohar Khiatani said, “As an infrastructural solutions provider, JTC has always placed priority on developing innovative and sustainable real estate solutions to meet the needs of our customers operating in resource-challenged Singapore. CleanTech Park will serve as an icon for the development and application of clean technologies and we shall strive to push the envelope but in a practical and cost effective way. Environmental sustainability will be the natural direction that businesses must take moving forward. CleanTech Park will be emblematic of how businesses can achieve both economic vibrancy and environmental sustainability; functioning in harmony with nature.”

5. Dr Beh Swan Gin, Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board, said, “Companies are increasingly interested in commercial and research space that is eco-friendly. CleanTech Park will provide such progressive investors with an attractive option and also foster the clustering of like-minded companies in one location. CleanTech Park’s tenants will also benefit from the close proximity to NTU, thereby promoting the cross-fertilisation of knowledge and ideas to facilitate the development and demonstration of systems-level CleanTech solutions.”

6. NTU will be the first anchor tenant of CleanTech Park. It will help seed R&D activities at the CleanTech Park. Prof Subodh Mhaisalkar, Co-Director for ERI@N (Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University) said, “Having CleanTech Park next to NTU is significant. It will help us work seamlessly with key industry partners in CleanTech Park and allow our students to gain invaluable opportunities for attachment and hands-on experience in state-of-the-art green technologies.”

7. In line with our overall national effort towards sustainable growth, CleanTech Park is a key initiative outlined in the S$1 billion Singapore Sustainable Blueprint for building a greener, more energy efficient and sustainable Singapore. The development also contributes to Singapore’s goal to be a “living lab” where companies can use Singapore effectively to develop, test-bed and commercialise green and urban solutions before scaling up for the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

8. CleanTech Park will be located on a large contiguous greenfield site. It has a natural undulating terrain and matured lush greenery with natural streams running through it. In drawing up the masterplan, a strong emphasis has been placed on finding a long term sustainable balance between the development’s commercial needs and the site’s natural biodiversity. For example, in keeping with the trees and landscape conservation, a minimal land-cut principle is adopted for infrastructure planning and at the individual land parcel and building platform level. One of the innovative ideas which will be testbedded within CleanTech Park is the Sky Trellis concept which is created by JTC. Trellises will be constructed between adjacent buildings and covered with plants to provide shade and enhance ‘walkability’ within open spaces in the area. More information on other green features in CleanTech Park is found in the attached factsheet.

9. The Singapore government is committed to growing the cleantech industry as a key cluster which is expected to contribute some S$3.4 billion to Singapore’s GDP and employ 18,000 people by 2015. CleanTech Park is poised to boost Singapore’s leadership position as an innovative CleanTech hub for global markets.

$52m cleantech park coming up near Tuas
When ready, it will have one million sq m of business space
Jessica Cheam Straits Times 26 Feb 10;

SINGAPORE'S burgeoning clean technology industry is to boast a cutting- edge green business park that will help create 20,000 'green-collar' jobs by 2030.

Plans for the 50ha park, to be built in three phases at a cost of $52 million, were unveiled yesterday.

The park in Nanyang Avenue, near Tuas, will feature green technologies such as stormwater recycling, solar power generation and buildings with the highest standards of environmental performance set in a lush green landscape.

The park will also serve as Singapore's first large-scale integrated development, allowing firms to test-bed cleantech products and solutions - especially those catering to the tropics - before they are commercialised for the market.

Industrial landlord JTC Corp and the Economic Development Board (EDB) revealed the masterplan for this CleanTech Park yesterday at the JTC Summit.

It marks the first step towards the fruition of an idea first mooted in 2008 by a high-powered panel of clean energy experts appointed by the EDB.

The panel had recommended that Singapore should cement its position as a global clean energy hub by setting up just such a cleantech park.

JTC said that infrastructure works on the park's first phase, spanning 17ha, will begin in July. Due for completion by 2018, it will offer 425,000 sq m of built-up space.

The park is located next to the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), which will be the park's first tenant.

EDB deputy managing director Tan Choon Shian said NTU will be locating some research activities in the park, and that EDB is also in talks with local and international firms to set up there.

JTC chief executive Manohar Khiatani added: 'We're confident at the level of interest we've received, so we felt that we should start this rolling.'

The global cleantech industry is reported to be worth more than US$700 billion (S$987 billion) and Singapore has identified this as a key pillar of its economy.

EDB expects the sector to contribute $3.4 billion to Singapore's economic output and employ 18,000 people by 2015.

To date, the industry has created about 9,000 jobs, said EDB's Mr Tan.

Mr Khiatani said that he hopes the park will attract not just cleantech companies, but also those with strong green practices which want to align themselves with the park's sustainability theme.

'More companies are looking for eco-friendly environments, so we decided to launch this new park. It will have ecological features that are also economical, and its proximity to NTU will also give it an advantage,' he said.

JTC said the space at the park will be priced competitively to attract tenants.

When completed, it will house 20,000 workers on a site set to offer one million sq m of business space.

JTC will be preserving the site's current biodiversity and natural undulating terrain.

One of the innovative ideas it will test-bed is called Sky Trellis, where trellises are built between the tops of buildings and covered with plants to lower temperatures, provide shade and encourage walking.

The agency will soon launch the park's first building, although details are not available yet.

The next two phases are scheduled to start in 2019 and 2026 respectively although this can be accelerated if needed, JTC added.

EDB managing director Beh Swan Gin said that the park will 'foster the clustering of like-minded companies in one location...thereby promoting the cross-fertilisation of knowledge and ideas' to develop cleantech solutions.