Singapore’s national water agency Public Utilities Board(PUB) is building a demonstration-scale Integrated Validation Plant to test the technologies that could potentially be implemented at the future Tuas Water Reclamation Plant (WRP).

The technologies are aimed at enhancing cost savings and energy efficiency of the used water treatment process at Tuas WRP.

Scheduled for completion in February 2017, the demonstration plant will allow PUB to validate the efficacy of the new process innovations planned for the future Tuas WRP. The tender for the plant was awarded to Mitsubishi Corporation last month. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Asia Pacific Pte Ltd (MHI-AP) has been contracted by Mitsubishi Corporation to undertake the construction of the plant.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. is one of the world's leading heavy machinery manufacturers.

Located within PUB's Ulu Pandan WRP, the demonstration plant with a capacity of 12,500 cubic meters a day will be designed to be a fully automated plant to reduce the manpower required to operate the plant. The demonstration plant will also serve as a training ground for the operators and to validate parameters for optimum used water treatment.

The future Tuas WRP will incorporate technologies to improve energy efficiency and manpower requirements. It is the key component of the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) Phase 2, a superhighway for the collection, treatment, disposal and reclamation of used water. Phase 2 of the DTSS will extend the system to cover the western parts of the island.

Harry Seah, Chief Technology Officer, PUB, said:

"The treatment and subsequent reclamation of used water is a cornerstone in ensuring a sustainable supply of water for Singapore. The demonstration plant is a living model of the future Tuas WRP to allow us to test and validate the new technologies that will eventually be used at the Tuas WRP. These new and tested technologies will enable Tuas WRP to be more eco-friendly, produce less sludge and have the capability of producing more biogas for power, while consuming lesser energy than conventional plants."

As the national water agency, PUB regulates and oversees Singapore’s entire water supply system which comprises the water catchment systems, drainage systems, water reclamation plants and sewage systems.

In just five decades, Singapore has overcome water shortages despite its lack of natural water resources and pollution in its rivers. The country has been investing in research and technology, building a robust, diversified and sustainable water supply from four different sources known as the Four National Taps (water from local catchment areas, imported water, reclaimed water known as NEWater and desalinated water).

One of these Taps is the high-grade reclaimed water known as NEWater, a success story made possible by state-of-the-art membrane technologies - such new technologies are a potential goldmine, according to PUB. The Singapore government has identified water as a new growth sector and will invest about S$330 million in water R&D in the next five years.

MHI-AP and PUB signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during the Singapore International Water Week in 2012 which saw them collaborating on a test-bedding project to treat high strength industrial used water at Jurong WRP. MHI-AP will continue to cooperate with PUB on R&D projects for water sustainability.

MHI-AP will be working closely with Mitsubishi Corporation to provide engineering support from the construction to the commissioning and operational phase of the project. It will also receive support from MHI (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.) Technology & Innovation Headquarters and an MHI group company, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mechatronics Systems, Ltd. (MHI-MS).

Via the project, MHI-AP will continue to work to further sophisticate its water treatment/recycling technology with aim of further expanding its presence in water treatment business markets.