MARKING an expansion of its utilities reach on Jurong Island, Sembcorp Industries' new $154 million multi-utilities centre at Banyan sector has started supplying steam, water and on-site logistics services to petrochemical plants there, the company said yesterday.

Banyan is also where it is building a new 400-megawatt, gas-fired cogeneration plant, which is expected to be operational in mid-2014. Costing some $600 million, it will bring the group's total investment on the petrochemicals island to $3 billion.

The new cogen plant will boost its power generating capacity to 1,215 MW, adding to its earlier 815-MW facility on the island. Sembcorp, which recently invested in woodchip-fired steam plants there, also just announced in August a $250 million-plus energy-from-waste facility which will supply steam from industrial and commercial waste collected by the group.