Power Generation
P
IWP
A Hybrid Solution
for Fresh Water
Singapore-based Hyflux is a global leader in fully integrated water
­solutions for projects in seawater desalination, water recycling and
wastewater treatment. Living Energy recently talked with Hyflux
Group Executive Vice President and COO Andrew Ngiam about the
company’s ­groundbreaking Tuaspring Desalination Plant, the first
water removal project to be integrated with a power plant.
Text: Glenn van Zutphen Photos: Sha Ying
“W
ater, water everywhere, / nor
any drop to drink…” That’s
the dilemma for the island citystate of Singapore. Although Singapore is located between the Indian
Ocean and the South China Sea, it cannot meet the freshwater needs of its
rapidly growing population. That’s
where Singapore-based Hyflux comes
in. The company is currently developing the high-profile Tuaspring de­
salination plant project in Tuas, on
Singapores west coast. When completed, it will be the largest of its kind
in all of Asia. It will also feature a
power plant, the first time a power
plant is integrated with a desalination
28 Living Energy · No. 7 | November 2012
project in the region. In the following
interview, Hyflux Group Executive Vice
President and COO Andrew Ngiam
talks about the synergies between his
company and Siemens on the power
aspect of the project.
in recent years. Therefore we have to
look at our planning more carefully
and compensate for the fact that we
have a finite capacity to develop water
desalination and water reclamation
projects.
What are the biggest challenges
you see around Singapore for water?
The challenge in Singapore is that we
are competing for land – there is limited space for industrial development
and population growth. We also need
to preserve the land for catchment
­areas and drainage requirements as
a result of changing weather patterns –
we have had some floods in Singapore
What is Hyflux doing to address
these challenges?
Hyflux is blessed with a unique situation in Singapore, where the government works hand in hand with the
private sector and the universities in
developing water technology. At Hyflux, we are conducting innovative
R&D, product development, EPC (engineering, procurement and u
Andrew Ngiam, COO of ­Hyflux,
can look back on 30 years of
experience in the industry. He
is convinced that closely joining
R&D and product development
makes the difference.
Power Generation
c­ onstruction) and even the operation
and maintenance of the plant. Basically,
we are involved from the ­beginning
to the end of the process.
a steam turbine, a hydrogen-cooled
generator and the instrumentation and
control system, as well as some other
systems. Hyflux will take care of the
balance of the plans: civil, structural,
mechanical and electrical works.
Why was this particular type
of plant chosen for the S$1 billion
Tuaspring project?
Our idea is very unique in Singapore
and in Asia. It is the Integrated Water
and Power Plant project, IWPP for
short. For this project, we are developing the largest desalination plant in
Singapore and in Asia. To achieve
maximum efficiency, we are also integrating a power plant into the project.
This is a new idea in this part of the
world. In order to bring the price of
a cubic meter of water down, we need
to think out of the box by looking at
how we can combine desalination and
power plant projects and deliver sustainable, economic ­solutions to the
community.
What do you think will be
the overall importance of the
­Tuaspring project?
For Singapore, the major impact will
be a cost-effective water desalination
solution, by combining the desalination and power projects. In the future,
we hope to provide this innovative
­solution for similar projects around
the region. We also want to take this
know-how to develop projects overseas.
And we look forward to working with
Siemens on similar projects.
How exactly will the Tuaspring
plant work?
First, the plant will draw seawater into
the system. This seawater will work
Is it a very difficult engineering
feat to combine a power plant with
a desalination plant?
Stand-alone plants are a well-established engineering project. But when
we put the two together, we have to
look at how to manage two completely
different systems. This requires two
teams of specialists to look into common project execution. For example,
in civil engineering projects, the desalination and power plants will each
require both piling and civil work.
Later on, there will be building services work, mechanical work, piping
work and electrical work. But the difference between the two is that one
requires the use of membranes and the
other requires the use of gas to drive
the F-class gas turbine. The mechanical
parts are different, but the execution
in terms of project management and
project execution is quite similar.
Hyflux is a global player in integrated water management and
­water solutions. What do you believe makes Hyflux products and
projects successful?
We offer the market a one-stop service
for water solutions by integrating our
innovation throughout the entire value chain, from the start of the R&D
“We also want
to take our
know-how
to develop
projects
overseas.”
Andrew Ngiam
Singapore: Growing with Siemens for over a Century
Siemens has been in Singapore for
104 years, providing the city-state with
quality, cutting-edge urban infrastructure solutions. In the process, the company has helped to make the island
­nation a modern economic powerhouse
through many key infrastructure projects
there. This has included building onethird of Singapore’s power plants, supplying diagnostic imaging technologies to
healthcare facilities, providing metro trains
since 1994, as well as gate management
and baggage handling at Changi Airport,
one of the most efficient in the world.
Infrastructure and R&D
Graphic: independent
Developing solutions
for Singapore’s water
challenge: Andrew Ngiam
is a trained engineer.
What role does Siemens play in
this project, and how does it integrate with what Hyflux is doing?
For this particular project, we started
off with construction of the desalination plant, and then developed the civil
works for the power plant. Siemens
will supply an F-class gas turbine, the
HRSG (heat recovery steam generator),
as a coolant for the power plant, since
a lot of water is needed to cool the
system. As a result, the seawater will
heat up and then be fed directly into
our desalination plant at a higher
temperature. Because the seawater is
going through at a higher temperature, the desalination pumps don’t
have to work as hard, saving a significant amount of energy. Therefore,
we gain efficiency and save money by
using the preheated seawater in our
reverse osmosis plant. It is through
this win-win solution that these two
projects work well together.
Siemens automation systems are used in
the state-of-the-art Deep Tunnel Sewerage
System and its industry solutions ensure
reliable operation of Singapore’s ports
and other critical public i­nfrastructure.
Siemens has also focused on water supply
and treatment in Singapore, having built
treatment facilities in the island’s Kranji
and Changi districts and operating a
global water research and development
center there. The aim is to reduce energy
consumption in desalination plants and
create new opportunities for water supply
in water-starved regions worldwide.
The 2,000 Siemens employees in Singapore are always looking to make the
country’s future more efficient.
environmentally friendly electricity. The
desalination plant will have a capacity
of 318,500 cubic meters per day, which
will make it the second and largest municipal desalination plant in Singapore
using reverse-osmosis technology when
it is completed in 2013. For this project,
Siemens is the EPC contractor for the
power plant, partnering with Hyflux.
Flagship Project
As part of Siemens’ Environmental Portfolio, work has started on the newest and
potentially most interesting project: the
CCPP (combined cycle power plant) that
will be integrated with the Tuaspring Desalination Plant, currently being developed
by Singapore-based Hyflux. The highly efficient, natural-gas-fired CCPP will power
the desalination plant and use cooling
water from the seawater supply. It is expected to deliver about 411 megawatts of
MAL AYSIA
Singapore
BORNEO
SUMATR A
Living Energy · No. 7 | November 2012 31
XXXXXXX
Power Generation
process through the membrane production, engineering and process
­engineering – most of which are done
in-house with our own engineers.
We do our own in-house procurement
and our own construction. It is through
this integrated and innovative approach that we are able to offer highly
efficient solutions to our customers.
On camera: The lively conversation between Living Energy correspondent Glenn van Zutphen and Andrew Ngiam
can be viewed in the Living Energy app (see below).
Andrew Ngiam
“In the future, innovation will be the main market
differentiator that Hyflux will offer.”
As the Group Executive Vice President
and Group Chief Operating Officer of
Hyflux Ltd, Andrew Ngiam oversees the
group’s global project execution, operations, and maintenance and engineering resources.
(Asia & Middle East). He was also a
­Director of several WorleyParsons companies, the global engineering firm that
consults in oil and gas, power, infrastructure and environment, minerals
and metals projects.
Industry Veteran
Engineering Background
He has more than 30 years of professional experience in operations management, project execution, strategy
development and implementation,
business development and technology
development. He is a veteran of the
­international subsea hydrocarbons industry. Before joining Hyflux, he was
the Senior Vice President of INTECSEA
Ngiam holds a Doctor of Philosophy
(PhD) in Civil Engineering from the University of New South Wales, Australia.
He is a registered Professional Engineer
of Singapore and Australia. He is also
a Corporate Member of the Institutions
of Engineers in Singapore and Australia
and a member of the American S
­ ociety
of Mechanical Engineers.
32 Living Energy · No. 7 | November 2012
Watch the film of the interview with
Andrew Ngiam.
Living Energy at
Does that “one-stop shop” also
­enable your R&D efforts to work at
a higher level?
Yes. R&D is not just limited to R&D
of the membrane technology that we’re
known for globally. We are talking about
continuous improvement throughout
the entire value chain with innovation.
This is evident in our new building,
called the Hyflux Innovation Center.
In the future, it will be innovation
that becomes the main differentiator
that Hyflux will offer to the market.
Is there something about Singapore
that makes it a good place to do
R&D and a good test bed for your
new technology and new designs?
The Singapore brand is quite important to us. Also, Singapore’s PUB is
very supportive and works closely
with us to develop new products and
conduct R&D. We have both government and industry participation. This
is a very positive attribute of Singapore that is not easily found in other
countries.
What does the horizon look like
for Hyflux in the coming years and
decades?
There are many factors to be considered. For example, there are cross-cultural differences and political factors
worldwide which we have no control
over, leading to increased risk. Bidding
for jobs overseas is always risky, and
there is a lot of competition coming
from Asian and European players,
among others. These constantly changing landscapes in the international
market pose a big challenge to us. So
we have to be very proactive in these
changing environments, developing
new products and new innovative
­solutions for our customers.
Hyflux
Started in 1989 by Olivia Lum, Singapore-based Hyflux Ltd is a rising star in the
international desalination and water solutions industry. Providing cost-­effective
and sustainable solutions in seawater desalination, water recycling, wastewater
(including membrane bioreactors) and potable water treatment, the company has
projects and operations in Southeast Asia, China, India, the Middle East and
North Africa and employs some 2,300 staff.
Hyflux is a global player that was listed on the Singapore Exchange in January
2001. Its membrane products and systems are in more than 1,000 plants located
in over 400 locations around the world. Kristal® ultrafiltration membranes
are widely used in the recycling of wastewater and pretreatment in seawater
­desalination plants. They are used in China’s largest membrane-based desalination plant and the world’s largest membrane-based desalination plant in Algeria,
which Hyflux has built. Flatsheet submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) membranes and hollow-fiber MBR membranes are designed to meet the tough requirements of industrial and municipal wastewater treatment and reclamation.
Hyflux stainless steel membranes allow the processing of a wide variety of difficult, dirty or hostile streams in a broad range of chemical conditions, pressures
and temperatures.
Asia’s largest commercial R&D center for membranes and materials technology
outside of Japan is operated by Hyflux. Some 200 researchers collaborate here
with universities, research institutes, and strategic partners worldwide.
What do you think are the most
useful areas where Hyflux and
­Siemens can partner in the future?
What do you believe might be
the opportunities?
My perception is that it will be here
in the Asian market and also the Middle East market where we can have
a lot of synergy with Siemens for the
IWPP projects. Hyflux has the water
technology solution and one-stop
­service. And Siemens has the hightechnology solutions for power plants,
along with their sophisticated product
execution, global reach and local
presence.
and brings in a high-value product
to Singapore. This product essentially
makes a lot of economic sense: F-class
turbines deliver greater efficiency for
this IWPP project. Hyflux went through
very detailed studies of various turbines by different companies and we
chose Siemens because of these reasons and their ability to bring value to
our investment on our project. p
Glenn van Zutphen has been a working
­journalist for over 25 years for the likes of CNN
International, CNBC Asia and ABC News Radio.
He also works with media organizations,
­companies and governments to train effective
journalists and communicators.
What value does Siemens bring
to the partnership with Hyflux?
It offers high-technology turbine products and very sophisticated project
management execution expertise. For
the Tuaspring project, Siemens understands the local rules and regulations
Living Energy · No. 7 | November 2012 33