Japan firm set to start construction of waste-to-energy research facility

JFE Engineering Corporation, the engineering and construction arm of Japanese conglomerate JFE Group, will start construction work on a S$40 million waste-to-energy research facility in Tuas soon.

The facility, which will employ JFE's high-temperature slagging gasification technology, is expected to be completed by December next year.

The technology has the ability to treat waste and reduce its volume. It also converts waste material that cannot be burnt into high-quality slag, which can be used for construction purposes, and metal granulates, which can be recycled.

Singapore has been looking at ways to reduce the volume of its waste. To support the research and commercialisation of waste-to-energy technologies, the National Environment Agency last year signed a collaboration agreement with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to co-fund this facility.

JFE is also planning to establish an innovation centre for environmental technology. The group said it hopes to leverage Singapore as a testbed for JFE's slagging gasification technology, and to further the capabilities of this technology to use renewable resources as auxiliary fuels, among others.

JFE senior managing director of environmental solutions sector Eiichi Shibuya said the firm believes Singapore is an ideal platform with the necessary technical capabilities and human capital to customise its technology for the local and South-east Asian markets.

"Together with NTU, and backed by its unparalleled experience and expertise, JFE aims to eventually scale up and showcase its technology on the global stage," he added.