The Straits Times / The Business Times News on Hyflux

A new addition in Tuas you can drink to

TWO years ago, the site at Tuas was just another piece of vacant, reclaimed land next to the sea.

Tiny planes the size of birds used to dive and swoop over it when wannabe flying aces gathered to exercise their remote-control skills.

Gazing out to sea, you could spot the occasional fishing boat and a few kelongs, or fishing traps.

In fact, you still can today. But under that water, there's a submerged pipe that juts out 20m. Seawater is sucked into it, along with fish, seaweed and prawns - even the occasional snake.

Turn around, and you'll see the reason for the pipe.

There are a number of low-rise buildings now spread out over six hectares, or the equivalent of nine football fields.

It's Singapore's first seawater desalination plant, that has been under construction in the intervening years.

This evening, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will officially open the $200-million plant.

Among the 600-plus guests are delegates to the world congress of the International Desalination Association being held here.

The plant is one of the world's largest and is capable of supplying 136,380 cubic metres of drinking water a day.

That's equivalent to 55 Olympic-size swimming pools, or a tenth of Singapore's current water needs.

The pipe jutting out to sea draws seawater into the desalination plant but don't worry about the sea life and flotsam such as plastic bags. Underwater screens prevent them going further, and they are swept out by mechanical scoops and disposed of.

Whatever matter that does get through is removed in the treatment process. The seawater is dosed with chemicals, for example, to enable silt to coagulate and be removed.

At the heart of the desalination process, dissolved salts are removed by forcing seawater, under high pressure, through plastic membranes with microscopic pores.

Known as reverse osmosis, this cutting-edge technology really kicks sand in the face of the usual desalination process.

For decades, the method had been to heat up seawater and to collect the resulting salt-free vapour. It requires more energy and more land for the facilities.

With the new membrane treatment, the water is just as pure.

In fact, it is too pure and has to be treated to make it similar to normal drinking water. Fluoride, for example, has to be added for dental protection.

Some staff of Hyflux, the Singapore company that built the plant, have tasted its desalinated water. 'I couldn't taste any difference between that and normal tap water,' says Mr David Head, the project director.

For Mr Kishor Dobariya, Hyflux senior manager (process), his first taste of desalinated water happened on his birthday on June 1.

'That made the day more unforgettable,' he says. 'I have deep satisfaction working on the project. It felt like having a part in Singapore's history.'

From Tuas, the desalinated water is pumped into the country's water network, adding to the current three sources of water: from local catchments, imported water from Johor and reclaimed water, or Newater.

Over the next few days, the new blend will reach homes, factories and offices in the Western fringes of Singapore, including Lim Chu Kang, Jurong, Tuas, Jurong Island, Bukit Batok, Clementi, West Coast, Commonwealth and Buona Vista.

The viability of desalinating seawater was evaluated by Singapore in the 1990s. The cost of desalinated water was projected to be $3 - $3.50 per cubic metre.

In January 2003, Hyflux and French partner Ondeo won the contract to design, build, own and operate a plant for 20 years.

They had submitted the lowest bid to sell desalinated water to the Public Utilities Board (PUB) at 78 cents per cubic metre. That is the starting - and startling - price, which will vary with fuel prices and inflation.

Rates were possible because of economies of scale and the use of more energy efficient technologies.

Says Mr Freddy Soon, Hyflux senior vice-president (CEO's office): 'VIP visitors always ask: 'What's the price of the water to be sold to PUB?'

He adds: 'After hearing my answer, they always remark: 'Unbelievable.' '

The Singapore plant demonstrates that desalinating seawater has come of age, giving not just Singapore but other water-scarce countries a precious opportunity to be more self-sufficient in water.

That's partly why during the plant's construction, there was a constant stream of visitors.

Mr Michael Siew, Hyflux assistant director (operations and maintenance), says for example, officials from Tianjin and Huludao in China visited the plant before Hyflux clinched deals to build desalination plants in those cities.

There were also top-ranking visitors, including those from the Prime Minister's Office in Malaysia. Another VIP: Ms Chen Baoliu, who was then China's ambassador to Singapore.

Mr Siew remembers Ms Chen exclaiming on the rooftop of the administration building at the desalination plant: 'My, I didn't know you can get such a beautiful view in Singapore.'

For Hyflux, the successful completion of the project three months ahead of schedule is especially satisfying. It is its first desalination plant and it had decided to go it alone after its two foreign partners - first, Mirant Asia-Pacific and then Ondeo - quit for financial reasons.

Hyflux chief executive Olivia Lum, who overcame big obstacles growing up as an orphan, took the departures in her stride.

She says: 'We were certainly disappointed, but we were confident of our capability to complete this project on our own.'

Insights into what Hyflux has delivered can be gleaned at an air-conditioned visitor centre there.

Every year, thousands of visitors are expected to flock there to find out about the magic of how the seawater lapping close by is transformed into water they can drink.

The writer is the author of Making The Right Turn, a book which commemorates the opening of the desalination plant.

chanteik@sph.com.sg