Singapore is set to cement its status as a global water powerhouse, with latest figures by the city-state’s Environment and Water Industry Programme Office (EWI) reporting robust growth figures for the water industry.
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In an annual update briefing held on Thursday, EWI - a government body set up in 2006 to grow Singapore’s water industry - said the number of water companies in Singapore has tripled to 150 since 2006, and new investments secured last year will continue to grow the industry further.
The sector can expect a S$150 million of annual value-add through these investments, as well as the creation of 500 jobs by the time these investments are fully realised, said EWI.
In recent years, water companies such as Beijing Enterprises Water Group (BEWG), a leading provider of water and environment services in China, have set up their international headquarters in Singapore. Last year, American water technology provider Xylem, and Norwegian reverse osmosis desalination technology firm Aqualyng, also set up offices in Singapore.
Singapore-based water companies are also putting on a strong performance in the global market, and clinched 13 overseas projects worth a total of S$274 million in the water infrastructure sector. For example, in China, Singapore-based companies own facilities that treat up to 1 million cubic metres of water daily.
Ronald Oxburgh, co-chair of a high-level panel that advises the Singapore government on strategic growth areas for the water industry, said that growing international presence in Singapore shows that “Singapore is recognised as a leading hydrohub globally, and is well-placed to maintain its stature as a global industry leader.”
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Singapore is recognised as a leading hydrohub globally, and is well-placed to maintain its stature as a global industry leader.”
Ronald Oxburgh, co-chair, Environment and Water Technologies International Advisory Panel
EWI highlighed industrial water solutions such as water purification and treatment and water efficiency, as one of the fastest growing segments in the global water industry. These have an estimated total value of US$52.8 billion, they added.
The growth in this sector was is driven by rapid industrialisation, stringent regulations on water discharge, and growing awareness on environmental sustainability within the water industry, it said.
EWI added that Singapore firms, big players and start-ups alike comma had done well to capture these opportunities so far. It cited the example of energy and water solutions company SembCorp who had which clinched a pioneering project in China’s coal-to-chemical industry. The company will build, own, and operate a water management plant in a coal-to-diesel plant in Shanxi province, China.
Chew Men Leong, chief executive of PUB, Singapore’s water agency, said that in addition to capturing global opportunities in the industrial water solutions sector, Singapore also needed to develop solutions for domestic use.
“The industrial sector in Singapore is the largest contributor to non-domestic water usage. It is therefore imperative that Singapore develops innovative industrial water solutions to improve the water efficiency in our companies’ operations,” said Chew.
He added: “Singapore is building on our municipal water strengths to diversify to industrial water solutions and achieve long-term water sustainability.”
One such initiative to accelerate this is a research and innovation grant scheme which in February 2014 recommended 9 projects, worth a total of S$34 million was award recipients to an international evaluation panel. These projects would collectively bring about water savings of about 3.8 million cubic metres a year, more than 1,500 Olympic sized swimming pools.
EWI added that to capitalise on these multi-billion dollar growth opportunities, the water industry would require a wide spectrum of talent, ranging from researcher to engineers, technicians, and business leaders. To develop capabilities across these areas, it said that a series of educational programmes were in place.
These included postgraduate scholarships, PUB’s Academy@Waterhub series of technical courses for water engineers and technicians, and exclusive sharing sessions for CEOs of water companies held during the biannual Singapore International Water Week event.
These efforts will help to position Singapore as “the premier location to develop the next generation of water business leaders,” said EWI.
