Channel NewsAsia 20 Dec 13;
SINGAPORE: National water agency PUB is inviting local and international companies to submit proposals for the construction of the second NEWater plant at Changi.
To be completed by 2016, it will add another 50 million Imperial gallons (mgd) or 228,000 cubic metres of NEWater a day to Singapore's water supply.
Like the first Changi NEWater plant, the second will also be constructed under a Design, Build, Own and Operate (DBOO) arrangement and utilise the same proven NEWater process developed by PUB.
PUB says the plant's main process facilities will be built mostly on the rooftop of the Changi Water Reclamation Plant.
This saves on land and the cost of laying pipes to convey the treated used water from the water reclamation plant to the NEWater plant.
One of the pillars of Singapore's water sustainability, NEWater is ultra-clean, high-grade reclaimed water that is produced using advanced membrane technologies.
NEWater currently meets 30 per cent of Singapore's water demand, and this is set to increase to up to 55 per cent in the longer term.
Koh Boon Aik, PUB's director of best sourcing, said: "Increasing NEWater capacity is necessary to meet the growing water demand and strengthen the resilience of Singapore's water supply.
"NEWater is used primarily by the non-domestic sector for non-potable use as well as topping up local reservoirs during dry weather."
The successful bidder will have a 25-year NEWater agreement to supply NEWater to PUB, from 2016.
The NEWater agreement will set out the tariff structure, terms and conditions for the supply and purchase of NEWater.
Mr Koh added: "We have been adopting the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to expand our water supply system in a cost-competitive manner since 2005.
"These projects have been highly successful, ensuring a high quality and reliable water supply at the most cost-effective manner as they tap on private sector's expertise as well as their capacity and flexibility to innovate.
"Through participating in these PPP projects, water companies can also gain experience, build up their track record, and they can eventually export the expertise they gain from the project internationally."
The second NEWater plant at Changi is PUB's fifth DBOO project. Previous DBOO projects include the 30mgd SingSpring Desalination Plant, 32mgd Keppel-Seghers Ulu Pandan NEWater Plant, 50mgd SembCorp Changi NEWater Plant, and more recently, the 70mgd Tuaspring Desalination Plant.
- CNA/al
