PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the development of Singapore’s fifth desalination plant.

The plant will be built on Jurong Island under a Design-Build-Own-Operate (DBOO) model. It will add another 137,000 cubic metres, or approximately 30 million imperial gallons of desalinated water (mgd) a day to Singapore’s water supply, enhancing water supply resilience.

Four bidders were shortlisted from an earlier pre-qualification phase to submit their proposals for the desalination plant. The companies shortlisted are:

• Keppel Infrastructure Holdings Pte Ltd
• Sembcorp Utilities Pte Ltd
• Tuas Power Ltd
• YTL Power International Berhad.

The desalination plant will be co-located within the successful applicant’s existing facility such as a power plant or steam generation plant on Jurong Island, so potential synergies in resources such as seawater intake and outfall structures or energy can be derived.

Mr Young Joo Chye, PUB’s Director of Engineering Development and Procurement said:

“Desalinated water is a key pillar of Singapore’s water supply strategy. As a source of water that is independent of rainfall, it bolsters the reliability of our water supply against prolonged periods of dry spells and droughts.”

There are currently two desalination plants in Singapore with a combined capacity of 100 mgd and this can meet up to 25% of Singapore’s current water demand. The third desalination plant is expected to be completed in Tuas by 2017, and the fourth in Marina East by 2020. Desalinated water is expected to meet up to 30% of Singapore’s future water needs by 2060.

The successful applicant will enter into a 25-year water purchase agreement to supply desalinated water to PUB. The water purchase agreement will set out the tariff structure, terms and conditions for the supply and purchase of desalinated water.