PUB calls for proposal for Jurong Island desalination plant

PUB, Singapore's national water agency, has invited Keppel Infrastructure Holdings, Sembcorp Utilities, Tuas Power and YTL Power International to submit proposals for the desalination plant in Jurong Island.

The plant, which will be Singapore's fifth, will be built by 2020 under a design-build-own-operate (DBOO) arrangement. It is expected to add 30 million imperial gallons (mgd) of desalinated water a day to the Republic's water supply.

The four companies were short-listed from an earlier pre-qualification exercise. The desalination plant will be sited next to the existing facility of the successful applicant - either power plant or steam generation plant - on Jurong Island.

The successful party will enter into a 25-year water purchase agreement to supply desalinated water to PUB.

Singapore already has two desalination plants in operation, with a combined capacity of 100 mgd, which can meet up to 25 per cent of the country's current water demand. The third desalination plant in Tuas is expected to be completed by November this year, and a fourth in Marina East by 2020.

PUB has set a target of having desalinated water meet up to 30 per cent of Singapore's future water needs by 2060.