Consulting on the construction of the Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant, Singapore

The large-scale, dual-mode Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant is the first of its kind in Singapore. The unique desalination plant treats two sources of water: seawater from the Singapore Strait and fresh storm water from the Marina Reservoir, depending on the prevailing weather conditions. Moreover, the treatment equipment is located underground and the exterior of the plant features a lush green rooftop for community recreation, with a capacity of 700 people.

The Public Utilities Board (PUB), Singapore’s national water agency, awarded Binnies, an RSK company, the consultancy services contract for the design-build-own-operate (DBOO) project to be delivered in four stages. Stages one and two included preparing the tender, covering specifications and evaluations. Stage three involved the project’s financial aspects and stage four was dominated by the construction element of the project.

To deliver these stages, Binnies led a multidisciplinary team that included financial and commercial advisers. Stage one was completed on a fast-track schedule in only five months. Stage four construction began in June 2017 and was completed in June 2020, with the facility formally launched in February 2021. It was built on a 3-ha plot of National Parks Board land and is integrated with the Eastern Coastal Park Connector Network cycling trail. Landscaping and security were key design considerations in addition to including solar panels for generating clean energy.

Now fully operational, the plant will serve the needs of businesses and residents in the growing Marina Bay downtown financial district and will ease the burden on existing desalination plants island-wide. It has the capacity to process over 30 million gallons of drinking water per day.

“Singapore continues to innovate and deliver on its plan for a sustainable and secure water supply. The plant is located in the heart of the city and will serve the needs of a thriving downtown community,” commented William Yong, Binnies Vice President and Managing Director of the water business in South-East Asia.

Image via Keppel Infrastructure.