Ladies and gentlemen,

 

1. A very good afternoon. I am delighted to join you today for the closing webinar of the Jurong Island Circular Economy (JICE) Study.

 

2. In February this year, the Government launched the Singapore Green Plan 2030 which charts ambitious targets to position Singapore to achieve our climate commitments. This is a whole of nation effort. And the epicentre of that effort is in Jurong Island, one of the world’s leading energy and chemicals hubs, and home to more than 100 leading companies.

 

3. Sustainability is not new to Jurong Island. Over the years, JTC has been working with other agencies such as EDB, EMA, NEA and PUB on measures to minimise waste, introduce solar panels and plant more trees. These efforts have paid off.

 

4. In 2020, Jurong Island generated about 8.1MWp of solar energy, recycled 6.5 million cubic metres of freshwater, and saved 58.8 million cubic metres of freshwater by using seawater instead. This is equivalent to 26,000 Olympic-size swimming pools in a year!

 

a. The Jurong Island community has also raised nearly S$750,000 to plant 34,000 trees by next year, which will help reduce the urban heat island effect.

 

5. But for our sustainability efforts to really take off, we need go much further. Our industries must transform and achieve breakthroughs in carbon and energy efficiency. And we must also do more with what we have. And that’s where taking a circular economy approach can make a meaningful difference.

 

6. I am therefore glad to hear that JTC, with the strong support of other government agencies, industry technology partners and the academic community, has spearheaded the JICE study.

 

a. For the very first time, 51 companies gathered to participate in the study which mapped the water, energy, and waste flows on Jurong Island.

 

b. The study has provided us with precious insight into potential synergies that could reduce resource use at a systems level, and boost Jurong Island’s competitiveness.

 

7. The study highlighted opportunities in three areas. One, greater clean energy use and exploration of new technologies.

 

a. R&D projects on clean energy technologies can reduce the overall carbon footprint of Jurong Island. For instance, solar energy generation can be scaled up and island-wide smart grids can be used to coordinate and optimise energy supply.

 

b. In fact, as a follow-up to the study, JTC, Singapore LNG Corporation and other agencies will embark on a new project to pursue the use of cold technology for the Jurong Island ecosystem.

 

8. Two, water recycling and recovery systems can be improved.

 

  a. Companies can direct their liquid waste streams to a centralised recovery facility for aggregation and to promote further recycling.

 

9. Three, there are opportunities to explore more sustainable recovery and treatment of chemical waste by working with stakeholders to testbed new technologies.

 

10. On the other hand, the study also shed light on the challenges faced in the implementation of such solutions.

 

a. First, some clean energy technologies have not reached the level of maturity for deployment and would require further R&D.

 

b. Second, water recycling technologies tend to be energy-intensive, making it important that we study how to improve their energy performance.

 

c. Third, there is a need for further development of more efficient technologies to treat and recover resources from chemical waste.

 

11. To better address these challenges, I am happy to announce two innovation calls for sustainable solutions on Jurong Island. This marks a milestone for Jurong Island as we bring various stakeholders together for the first time to test, to implement, and to scale up sustainable solutions on the Island.

 

12. First, the Jurong Island Innovation Challenge (JIIC) spearheaded by JTC and ESG which will crowdsource innovative ideas from start-ups and SMEs to enhance sustainability and circularity of resources.

 

a. Some of the biggest industry players have developed 10 challenge statements for the JIIC. Start-ups and SMEs will have the opportunity to collaborate with large corporates and access potential funding for the development of their solutions. Through the JIIC, we hope to make Jurong Island a living testbed for innovation. The JIIC launches today and I look forward to your eager participation.

 

13. Second, the Jurong Island Renewable Energy Request for Proposals that will focus on test-bedding innovative energy solutions including renewable energy and energy storage systems to reduce the island’s carbon footprint. This Request for Proposals is targeted to be launched in October this year.

 

Conclusion

 

14. Our hope is that the JICE study and innovation calls will help catalyse new ideas, underscore how our industrial estates can be a living testbed for new solutions that could serve as engines of growth for the future, and give new impetus for our energy and chemicals sector to enhance its competitiveness and produce sustainably for the world.

 

15. In closing, I would like to thank all the participating companies for your strong support in the JICE study, and I wish you a fruitful discussion ahead.

 

16. Thank you.