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DIRECTORY OF SINGAPORE PROCESS & CHEMICALS INDUSTRIES 2021/2022
oil, gas and chemicals clients achieve their own decarbonisation targets.”
While the EPCs are focused on shifting toward new value streams and applications that can drive industry recovery and future growth, it is crucial that service providers in Singapore’s process sector stand ready to provide the necessary support to capitalise on the transition.
There are many opportunities, especially in solar energy projects from the Government’s clean energy plan for the public sector, for local PCM service providers. The Government’s target of 1.5 GWp installed capacity by 2025 would be further increased to 2 GWp by 2030, which would by then account for 3% of Singapore’s total electricity demand.
JTC has already successfully rolled out the first two phases of its SolarLand programme at Jurong Island and Changi Business Park. In February 2020 it launched SolarLand Phase 3, which maximises the use of over 506,000 sqm of temporary vacant land all across Singapore.
In July 2021, one of the world’s largest inland floating solar photovoltaic (PV) farm was officially opened at Tengeh Reservoir. It has 122,000 solar panels installed over 45 hectares of water surface.
Earlier two smaller 1.5 MWp floating solar PV systems were deployed at Bedok and Lower Seletar reservoirs to collectively generate enough energy to power about 800 four-room HDB flats.
The SolarNova programme launched in 2014 by EDB and Housing Development Board (HDB) has progressively rolled out 220 MWp of solar panels on rooftops across 5,500 HDB blocks.
There are also private sector efforts, such as plans by Shell and JTC for a solar farm on Semakau Island.
There are local PCM companies that already have experience in the solar energy sector.
JEL Maintenance has delivered grid- connected solar power installations at multiple HDB estates and commercial buildings in Singapore under the SolarNova Programme since 2018. It is looking forward to securing more work from this programme.
Cyclect says it has delivered grid-connected solar power installations at multiple industrial and commercial buildings in Singapore since 2017 and is working on other sustainable energy solutions such as Waste to Energy, Energy Storage, Carbon Capture, and other distributed energy solutions.
Mr Thirunavirkarasu of Universal Solution said his company could support solar projects that requires piping work, as it had done work for a project a few years ago.
ASPRI re-doubles effort during pandemic to support process sector
The ASPRI leadership has, since its inception, championed the growth of the process supporting industry, working closely with Government ministries and agencies as well as plant owners to address the evolving needs of its members.
Over the last decade, however, there has been increasing emphasis on reducing companies’ reliance on migrant workers, managing and upskilling them, and restructuring and transforming their businesses.
The Covid pandemic has somewhat compressed the timeline for ASPRI members to move forward, especially in the use of digital technology for remote meetings, communication of work plans, monitoring of project execution and for support staff to work from home.
In addition, members have to adjust to almost overnight changes to how migrant
workers have to be housed and cared for during the health crisis. They also have to manage the labour shortage and its impact on productivity due to mandatory SMM.
In his speech to members at the 15th ASPRI Annual General Meeting on 21 July 2021 Mr Charles Quek, said the Association recognises the impact of such rapid transformation on the Process industry and “is committed to helping our members navigate them”.
Mr Quek highlighted several key areas where ASPRI had re-doubled its effort to support the members.
Cohorting Workgroup
High on the list was the setting up of the Cohorting Workgroup in June 2020 with the support of Singapore Chemicals Industry Council (SCIC) and key plant owners. It empowered ASPRI to help “align industry recommendations on workers’ cohorting arrangements across safe workplace, accommodation and transportation” during the most critical time in the history of the Association.
The Workgroup also successfully raised the concerns of its members with various Government agencies on difficulties they faced with some of the Covid SMM as they planned for Restart after August 2020.
Initiating a Pilot CovidSafe entry programme for new migrant workers
And more importantly, to help members address the manpower shortage, ASPRI had from June 2021 worked together with the Singapore Contractors Association Ltd (SCAL) and Association of Singapore Marine Industries (ASMI) to pilot a CovidSafe process to bring in foreign workers in the face of borders restrictions, with the first batch of several hundred workers from Malaysia.
The end-to-end process requires mandatory proactive testing of the workers through a
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