By Mohan Pillay
The inaugural Youth Olympic Games hosted by Singapore in August last year left a positive impression on Singapore’s young guests. The fanfare would have been much bigger had the Singapore Sports Hub been available for the event.
At an estimated cost of S$1.33 billion, the new Sports Hub will boast a 55,000-seater retractable roof stadium, a 6,000-capacity Indoor Aquatic Centre, a 3,000-capacity Multi-Purpose Arena and a Water Sports Centre.
Despite the tender being awarded by the Singapore government in 2008, the PPP project commenced construction only in September 2010 – the result of delays from the 2008-2009 global financial crisis and high construction costs. It is now expected to complete in 2014.
Other major infrastructure projects soon to get underway include the Tuas desalination plant, Singapore’s second and largest such plant. Local water authority PUB closed its open tender late last year and the outcome of the tender is expected in first quarter 2011. The Tuas desalinated water plant is expected to complete by 2013.
This is already PUB’s fourth Design, Build, Own and Operate (DBOO) project. The first three were desalination and recycled water projects. The purpose of such arrangements include helping local water companies build their track records towards eventually exporting such expertise overseas.
Another notable launch is Tuas Power’s Tembusu Complex comprising a waste re-utilisation facility, a biomass-clean coal co-generation plant and a desalination plant, costing an estimated US$1.5 billion.
The project has already garnered several local awards for innovation and research with part of the biomass-clean coal cogeneration plant’s processes converting ash into synthetic aggregates for use in the construction industry.
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