Keppel Infrastructure and PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, have unveiled the innovative design of the Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant, Singapore’s fourth desalination plant.

The first of its kind in Singapore, the Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant will be a large-scale dual-mode desalination plant in Singapore that can treat both seawater and freshwater. Depending on wet or dry weather conditions, water is channelled either from the Marina Reservoir or the sea to the plant, where it will be treated.

The plant also achieves multiple uses of land, with underground treatment facilities and 20,000 sq m of open green space on the rooftop for community recreation.

Slated for completion by 2020, the Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant will feature a sleek modern design that breaks away from that of conventional water treatment plants. Against the backdrop of Singapore’s CBD skyline, the plant is set along the Eastern Coastal Park Connector Network that bridges East Coast Park and Gardens by the Bay East. All of the plant’s water treatment equipment will be located underground, topped off by a gently sloping green lawn as its roof.

The desalination plant will also incorporate environment-friendly features such as rainwater harvesting. Rainwater collected will be used to irrigate the green roof and support the facility’s water features and landscaping needs.

“Over the years, we have been making investments in desalination plants to bolster our water security. As a source independent of weather, desalinated water is capable of strengthening our water supply resilience, especially against prolonged dry spells and droughts. We aim to triple its capacity to meet up to 30 percent of our water needs by 2060,” said Ng Joo Hee, chief executive of PUB.

Desalinated water is a key pillar of Singapore’s water supply, in addition to water from local catchments, imported water and NEWater (ultra-clean, high-grade reclaimed water). There are currently two desalination plants with a total capacity of 100 mgd, and another three plants in the pipeline. The Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant is one of them.

Keppel Infrastructure, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Marina East Water Pte Ltd, signed the 25-year Water Purchase Agreement with PUB for the Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant on 20 January 2017. The plant will be constructed under the Design, Build, Own and Operate (DBOO) model and will produce 137,000 cu m (about 30 million gallons) of fresh drinking water per day.