Singapore bags top Asean energy awards

Firms win 5 awards for their efforts in renewable energy solutions
Jessica Cheam Straits Times 23 Jul 10;

SINGAPORE shone at the annual Asean Energy Awards in Vietnam yesterday, winning five awards, four of which clinched top honours in their categories.

Home-grown firm Eco Special Waste Management, which won the top prize in the Renewable Energy Project off-grid category, impressed judges with its Tuas sludge incineration plant - a first in Singapore and also in South-east Asia.

The plant, which began operations last year and cost $35 million to build, burns sewage sludge from Singapore's water reclamation plants as fuel, which produces thermal energy that is recaptured to dry the sludge and turn it into a fertiliser.

The process drastically reduces Singapore's daily sludge waste of more than 500 tonnes from going into a landfill, eliminates methane production and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 100,000 tonnes annually.

Eco's director of business development Danny Tay told The Straits Times the firm was 'glad to receive recognition for its work', and that it was also in the final stages of getting approval from the United Nations to earn carbon credits for the plant.

If approved, it will be Singapore's second carbon credit-generating project after mainboard-listed EcoWise's plant, which converts Singapore's wood and horticultural waste into energy.

IUT Singapore also clinched the top award in the on-grid category for its project, which burns food waste to generate renewable energy. This is used to power the plant itself and the excess electricity is exported to Singapore's power grid, hence the term 'on-grid'.

Property developer City Developments won in the Best Practices for Energy Efficient Buildings category for its green office building Tampines Grande, which uses a combination of covered walkways, landscaping and plants to reduce the amount of energy needed to cool the building, which also boasts solar panels.

It also won the top prize in the retrofitted category for Fuji Xerox Towers, while the People's Association was second runner-up in the new and existing buildings category for its new energy-efficient headquarters in King George's Avenue.

Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran, who attended the awards ceremony yesterday at the 28th Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting in Dalat City, Vietnam, commended the efforts of the companies.

'These awards are a testament to the winning companies' contributions to more energy-efficient buildings and innovative renewable energy solutions. We look forward to more of such companies as Singapore works to become a smart-energy economy,' he said.

The Asean Energy Awards, held annually since 2004, attracted 36 entries across member states this year.

Myanmar judge Win Khaing, vice-president of Myanmar Engineering Society, said the two renewable-energy projects submitted by Singapore were 'exemplary due to their innovative concepts of utilising daily waste, such as food waste and sewage, for power generation'.


Four Singapore companies bag top ASEAN awards for energy-saving solutions
Channel NewsAsia 22 Jul 10;

SINGAPORE : Four Singapore organisations have bagged top awards at the 2010 ASEAN Energy Awards.

Convened annually, the ASEAN Energy Awards recognise efforts by enterprising ASEAN companies to integrate renewable energy and energy efficient solutions in their projects.

One winner is IUT Singapore Pte Ltd, which innovatively burns food waste to generate renewable energy.

Electricity produced is used to power the plant.

The excess electricity is exported into Singapore's power grid.

By burning food waste, this project also helps to reduce the need for landfill space.

The methane-rich bio-gas - which is one of the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change - produced is used to generate power.

Another winner is Eco Special Waste Management Pte Ltd.

Its project is the first of its kind in Singapore and the biggest in South East Asia where sewage sludge is burnt as fuel.

The burning process produces thermal energy which is then recycled to dry the sludge and turn it into a fertiliser.

This process eliminates methane production and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 100,000 tonnes annually.

Another winner, Tampines Grande Building, cleverly uses covered walkways, landscaping and plants to reduce the amount of energy needed to cool the building.

Solar photovoltaic panels are also innovatively installed on the rooftops and as part of the facade to harvest solar energy.

This is the first commercial development with the largest and most extensive use of solar technology in Singapore.

The building is expected to achieve a minimum energy-efficiency of more than 30 per cent compared with a standard commercial office building.

Fuji Xerox Towers is another winner - for implementing numerous energy conservation initiatives.

These include upgrading its chiller plant, installing ultrasonic and motion sensors over the past few years, and achieving a 23 per cent reduction in electricity consumption from 2007 to 2009.

The companies received their awards at the Gala Dinner of the 28th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting in Da Lat City, Vietnam on Thursday.

Lawrence Wong, chief executive, Energy Market Authority, said: "Despite the scale limitations of renewable energy in Singapore, our companies have shown that they have the capabilities to come up with innovative solutions in this area.

"These awards highlight the opportunities available for companies to use Singapore as a site for test-bedding of renewable energy options, and a platform for exports to other countries where conditions are more conducive for the deployment of large-scale renewable energy solutions."

John Keung, chief executive officer, Building and Construction Authority, said: "This shows that both existing and new buildings can achieve equally high standards of energy efficiency through adopting best practices and technologies to consciously reduce energy used.

"These buildings will serve as good benchmarks in the course of greening our built environment." - CNA/ms