NDR 2026: New Western island to be created for new industries by merging Semakau, Bukom and other islands

[SINGAPORE] Several islands south of Jurong Island will be merged to form a larger island, to “support a new generation of industries”, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at the National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 23).

This is part of the Republic’s long-term plans, which are being studied carefully, he said.

The cluster includes Semakau, which houses the city-state’s offshore landfill; Bukom, where its first refinery still operates; and Pulau Sudong, which has an airstrip that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) uses during emergencies. It also consists of several smaller islands.

When Singapore needed more space to build a petrochemical industry in the past, it similarly reclaimed land and combined islands to create Jurong Island – which is a global energy and chemicals hub today, PM Wong said.

That “delivered lasting benefits” for Singapore, creating good jobs, anchoring important industries, making Singapore a critical node in global energy flows and strengthening the country’s energy security and resilience.

The causeway linking the mainland to Jurong Island is heavily used, so a second road link will be built, PM Wong said. Meanwhile, a new link will also connect Jurong Island to the new Western island.

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The prime minister noted that the new Western island will not just be for petrochemicals.

Instead, it can support “a new generation of industries”, including advanced manufacturing facilities. It can also accommodate new power generation infrastructure to meet Singapore’s future needs. There will also be space for the SAF, with an airstrip already at Sudong.

“Jurong Island shaped our economy for the last fifty years,” he said. “This new Western island can help shape Singapore for the next 50 years and beyond.”