$52m cleantech park coming up near Tuas
When ready, it will have one million sq m of business space
By Jessica Cheam
An artist's impression of the proposed Sky Trellis, with interwoven pieces of wood or bamboo constructed between the building tops and covered with plants to lower temperatures, provide shade and encourage walking. -- PHOTO: JTC CORPORATION
SINGAPORE'S burgeoning clean technology industry is to boast a cutting- edge green business park that will help create 20,000 'green-collar' jobs by 2030.
Plans for the 50ha park, to be built in three phases at a cost of $52 million, were unveiled yesterday.
The park in Nanyang Avenue, near Tuas, will feature green technologies such as stormwater recycling, solar power generation and buildings with the highest standards of environmental performance set in a lush green landscape.
The park will also serve as Singapore's first large-scale integrated development, allowing firms to test-bed cleantech products and solutions - especially those catering to the tropics - before they are commercialised for the market.
Industrial landlord JTC Corp and the Economic Development Board (EDB) revealed the masterplan for this CleanTech Park yesterday at the JTC Summit.
It marks the first step towards the fruition of an idea first mooted in 2008 by a high-powered panel of clean energy experts appointed by the EDB.
The panel had recommended that Singapore should cement its position as a global clean energy hub by setting up just such a cleantech park.
JTC said that infrastructure works on the park's first phase, spanning 17ha, will begin in July. Due for completion by 2018, it will offer 425,000 sq m of built-up space.
The park is located next to the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), which will be the park's first tenant.
EDB deputy managing director Tan Choon Shian said NTU will be locating some research activities in the park, and that EDB is also in talks with local and international firms to set up there.
JTC chief executive Manohar Khiatani added: 'We're confident at the level of interest we've received, so we felt that we should start this rolling.'
The global cleantech industry is reported to be worth more than US$700 billion (S$987 billion) and Singapore has identified this as a key pillar of its economy.
EDB expects the sector to contribute $3.4 billion to Singapore's economic output and employ 18,000 people by 2015.
To date, the industry has created about 9,000 jobs, said EDB's Mr Tan.
Mr Khiatani said that he hopes the park will attract not just cleantech companies, but also those with strong green practices which want to align themselves with the park's sustainability theme.
'More companies are looking for eco-friendly environments, so we decided to launch this new park. It will have ecological features that are also economical, and its proximity to NTU will also give it an advantage,' he said.
JTC said the space at the park will be priced competitively to attract tenants.
When completed, it will house 20,000 workers on a site set to offer one million sq m of business space.
JTC will be preserving the site's current biodiversity and natural undulating terrain.
One of the innovative ideas it will test-bed is called Sky Trellis, where trellises are built between the tops of buildings and covered with plants to lower temperatures, provide shade and encourage walking.
The agency will soon launch the park's first building, although details are not available yet.
The next two phases are scheduled to start in 2019 and 2026 respectively although this can be accelerated if needed, JTC added.
EDB managing director Beh Swan Gin said that the park will 'foster the clustering of like-minded companies in one location...thereby promoting the cross-fertilisation of knowledge and ideas' to develop cleantech solutions.
jcheam@sph.com.sg
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