PUB to study feasibility of desalination plant on Jurong Island

SINGAPORE'S water agency PUB is exploring the feasibility of developing a desalination plant on Jurong Island, as the country looks to strengthen water security and resilience to droughts.

This will come on top of two more desalination plants, each with a capacity of 30 million gallons a day (mgd), that will be completed in Tuas and Marina East in the next four years, said Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, during a Committee of Supply speech in Parliament on Tuesday.

Singapore currently has two desalination plants with a total capacity of 100 mgd, meeting nearly a quarter of the country's water demand.

Jurong Island is home to about 100 petrochemical, specialty chemical and supporting companies that use a total of 46 mgd - a 10th of Singapore's water demand. Much of this goes towards cooling processes, said the ministry.

PUB said it is working with other agencies to study the feasibility of companies using seawater instead of fresh water to meet future cooling demand.