PUB launches tender to build fourth desalination plant in Marina East

It's slated for completion in 2019.

The Public Utilities Board (PUB) will call a tender for the construction of Singapore’s fourth desalination plant, which will be located in Marina East.

The national water agency said that the desalination plant will help strengthen water resilience and meet future water needs in the city and eastern areas

Once it is completed in 2019, the plant will add another 137,000 cubic metres, or approximately 30 million imperial gallons of desalinated water (mgd) a day to the Singapore’s water supply.

Located near water demand zones in the city and eastern part of Singapore, the plant will also have the capability to treat freshwater from Marina Reservoir. Like the first two desalination plants at Tuas, the Marina East Desalination Plant will be constructed under a Design, Build, Own and Operate (DBOO) arrangement.

Singapore currently has two desalination plants with a total combined capacity of 100 mgd and this can meet almost 25% of the current water demand. A third desalination plant at Tuas is expected to complete by 2017.

“Increasing desalination capacity will further strengthen our water security and boost the drought resilience of Singapore’s water supply. Like NEWater, desalinated water is independent of rainfall and can be used to supplement our other water sources during dry weather,” said William Yeo, PUB’s Director of Policy and Planning.

“We are progressively expanding our desalination and NEWater capacities to meet up to 85% of our water needs by 2060,” he added.

The successful bidder will enter into a 25-year water purchase agreement to supply desalinated water to PUB. The water purchase agreement will set out the tariff structure, terms and conditions for the supply and purchase of desalinated water.