The Tuas Power-Singapore Technologies Marine Consortium has been selected by Singapore national water agency PUB as the preferred bidder for the construction of the country’s fifth desalination plant, which will be built on Jurong Island.

The 30MGD (137,000m³/day) seawater desalination plant is due to enter operation in 2020. Desalination currently provides around 25% of Singapore’s water demand and the new plant forms part of plans to increase this to around 30%. The 70MGD TuaSpring Desalination Plant is due for completion this year, and the 30MGD Keppel Marina East Desaliation Plant, the country’s fourth, is due for completion by 2020.

The new Jurong Island desalination plant also represents the country’s seventh Design-Built-Own-Operate project between PUB and the private sector, which include the 30MGD SingSpring Desalination Plant, the 32MGD Keppel-Seghers Ulu Pandan NEWater Plant, and 50MGD SembCorp NEWater Plant, and the 50MGD BEWG-UESH NEWater plant.

According to a statement released by PUB, the consortium offered the most competitive tariff among three bidders, with a first year price of $0.91/m³. It will provide water over a period of 2020-2045. Following prequalification of four potential bidders, a total of eight bids were submitted by TP-STM, Keppel Infrastructure Holdings, and Sembcorp Utilities-SUEZ International Consortium.

The new plant will be co-located with Tuas Power’s existing Tembusu Multi-Utilities Complex. According to PUB, this offers synergies regarding resources such as the seawater intake and outfall structures, and energy from in-plant generation facilities.