Latest Catch for Singapore

last SG · 2007-12-02T00:02:49+00:00

Read the full report then talk to me. See if you can access this. http://www.springerlink.com/content/r705027j141r1n20/fulltext.pdf Until then, we have not...

Gazelle SG

Rolls Royce to set up aircraft engine assembly facility in S'pore
By Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 20 November 2007 2125 hrs

SINGAPORE : Rolls Royce will be setting up Asia's first ever facility to manufacture engines for large commercial aircrafts in Singapore.

To be located at the Seletar Aerospace Park, the new plant will cost S$320 million.

Rolls Royce wants to establish a 'factory of the future' when it comes to aerospace engines. It is confident of running one at the Seletar Aerospace Park.

Rolls Royce is not new to Singapore's aerospace industry. Since 1995, Singapore Airlines has been a major customer of its engines.

Other customers include SilkAir and the budget carriers operating out of Singapore.

Right now, Rolls Royce accounts for more than 10 percent of Singapore's aerospace output.

Rolls Royce is expecting to hire at least 330 staff here to work on engines for the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350. Currently, it has about 1,000 employees in Singapore.

The company said that even though other Asian countries may have lower capital costs, Singapore is better poised for the aerospace sector in terms of skilled labour and infrastructure.

Jonathan Asherson, Regional Director, South East Asia, Rolls Royce International, said: "Another criteria was the US dollars, in the mitigation against the exchange rate. And also being close to our customers, and Asia is a hugely growing part of our business."

The aerospace industry in Asia is booming, with the number of aircraft in the region set to double by 2015.

Singapore is keen to tap into the growth, and the Economic Development Board said it will be announcing more investment deals for the Seletar Aerospace Park over the next few months.

Manohar Khiatani, Assistant MD, Industry Development, Economic Development Board, said: "There'll be opportunities to attract engine component manufacturers who supply Rolls Royce... systems suppliers who provide systems for aircraft engines, as well as our local supporting industries eventually, for the component activities."

The new Rolls Royce plant is expected to be up and running by the end of 2009.

Asia accounts for about 27 percent of the revenue at Rolls Royce.

Meanwhile, Rolls Royce also announced another engine facility for corporate aircrafts in the Commonwealth of Virginia, USA. - CNA/ms

Gazelle SG

ExxonMobil breaks ground in Singapore for largest petrochemical complex
Nov 5, 2007

SINGAPORE (AFP) US energy giant ExxonMobil on Tuesday began building the world's largest petrochemical complex in Singapore, which is expected to be ready by 2011.

The petrochemical complex, which will be ExxonMobil's second plant in the city-state, would be capable of producing one million tons of ethylene and 1.3 million tons of polyethylene annually.

It is also capable of producing 450,000 tons of polypropylene and 300,000 tons of specialty elastomers, the company said.

ExxonMobil executives declined to say how much was invested in the petrochemical plant, but industry experts estimate that a project of such size could require investments of 2.0 billion US dollars.

Regional managing director Kwa Chong Seng said the new complex "will strengthen ExxonMobil's supply capabilities to serve the growing needs for petrochemical products in Asia and globally."

"The new Singapore project will employ ExxonMobil's latest proprietary technologies, and will have the capability to process a broad range of feedstocks and convert them into higher value products," he said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

ExxonMobil's new petrochemical complex will be located on Jurong Island, which houses Singapore's flourishing multi-billion dollar chemicals industry.

The US energy firm's decision to build the complex in Singapore is a further boost to the island-nation's position as a regional chemical industrial base for the world's leading players.

Output from the chemicals industry is now worth 74 billion Singapore dollars (51 billion US), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.

Gazelle SG

National Oxygen to invest at least S$40m in Singapore, region
By Rachel Kelly, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 20 November 2007 2009 hrs

SINGAPORE : Industrial gas manufacturer National Oxygen (NOX) expects to invest at least S$40 million to expand in Singapore and the region.

It revealed this on Tuesday, as it marked the completion of its third air separation facility on Jurong Island.

NOX is the Singapore unit of a Japanese firm, and has been operating here for the past 25 years. It is seeing steady growth in its business.

The company is one of the leading industrial gas manufacturers in the region, specialising in production of oxygen, nitrogen and argon.

However, it is keen to expand. It plans to plough more capital into investments and increase manpower.

Shigeto Umatani, Managing Director, National Oxygen, said: "We are planning to invest not only in Singapore, but in Malaysia Indonesia and Batam.

"We are going to start with a new refilling station for downstream business in Batam, Indonesia, and we are planning to set up a new on site gas plant in Malaysia. We are also going to set up a new carbon dioxide plant in Malaysia. These projects will be completed by the end of next year."

NOX expects to spend a total of S$40 million on these projects. In Singapore alone, it has so far invested a total of S$175 million.

It booked a revenue of S$87 million last year, and this is expected to grow, as the third plant in Jurong kicks into full gear.

NOX said gas manufacturing will stay on a uptrend, as the economy grows.

Mr Umatani said: "I think for the past three or four years, Singapore's economy has been expanding very rapidly - between, I guess, 6-8 percent per year.

"This year's economic growth is over 8 percent and I think, I'm sure, this growth will stay for the next couple of years, and in that sense, we believe that there is strong growth in this business (gas manufacturing) for the next few years at least."

With the numerous projects NOX has in the Singapore industry, the company is hoping to attain a one third total of market share in the budding sector. - CNA/ms

LazerLordz SG

Good economic catches, but where's the EPA?

I'll pity those that stay in Jurong West.

Gazelle SG

Neste to build US$814m S'pore biofuel plant
November 30, 2007, 3.20 pm (Singapore time)

HELSINKI - Finnish Neste Oil said on Friday it will build the largest biodiesel plant in the world in Singapore, investing 550 million euros (US$814.4 million).

'The plant will have a design capacity of 800,000 tonnes each year, making it the largest facility producing diesel fuel from renewable feedstocks anywhere,' Neste said in a statement.

The plant will use mostly palm oil as its raw material, but it can use also other feedstock.

Neste started its first biodiesel plant, with an annual capacity of 170,000 tonnes, earlier this year in Finland and its second NExBTL biodiesel unit is scheduled to start operations in 2009.

The company said construction of the Singapore plant will begin in the first half of 2008, and the facility is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010. -- REUTERS

HyperFocal SG

It's amazing & remarkable even, that Singapore is doing so well...

... and yet many are just getting by....

Rolling Eyes

fymk SG

Singapore has the long experience with oil refineries but I dunno about environmental impact management.

Demonight SG

environment? what's that? Looks like Singapore is in no hurry to sign the Kyoto Protocols (not that other countries are adhering to it either)

sgdiehard SG

Not only are there some of the world largest oil refineries in Singapore, thousands of oil tankers pass by singapore on route to north asia and oz, which can be of great threat to the environment in the straits in this region. An oil tanker sank by a terrorist attack could have catastrophic impact on the environment.

We know the problem and we know what we need to do and we have what it takes to face such a problem.

We have the most updated equipment, software, system, and most important of all, cooperations among countries in the region, oil and chemical companies together with the various agencies of the government, PSA, maritime authorities, coast guards....

So far all accidents were contained and that proved that our environmental impact management worked. Thanks to all the people involved.

So far so good. But nobody can guarantee there would be no accident, so should an accident occured, please don't use it as a swipe against Singapore. Mr. Green

fymk SG

In case , you don't know what environmental impact means - think pollution , not accident.

Why so defensive again? Not swiping. Just referring to Lazerlordz comment on Jurong West.

fymk SG

Kyoto protocol is just something that looks pretty. It is just the lip service of countries telling others : Look we care about Earth!

If you cannot bring USA, India and China in line with it, you can pretty much forget about the climate change issue. Australia won't sign (aka ratify , not just signing of intention) along with a few others because they see the Kyoto protocol as impingeing on their own heavy industries and economic development.

The latest Labor won election has Australia intending to sign up but only if everyone gets equal treatment ( which means alot of unhappy developing countries having equal emissions with the developed nations) . So I think that there is going to be some argument about it.

So no countries are really in any hurry to enforce it until Uncle Sam, India and China enforces it.

sgdiehard SG

do you want anything about refinery? or just a common definition of pollution? what causes pollution? normal refinery operation do not cause pollution! Refinery technologies have been in existance for donkey years, and the major refineries in the world have been in operation since the day human knew how to use automobiles. For many years the refineries have been in operation here, many have expanded several times, if there is any pollution even your father would have been affected by now.

Today, the most likihood of pollution from refineries come from accidents. There are even extensive safeguard against human error or negligence. Don't talk something you have absolutely no idea about.

What happened in Jurong West was due to human negligence, it is not there all the time.

Defensive? when you have idiots who speak with their a S S, there is always a need to correct them, or this place stink!! That is pollution!!

fymk SG

Ai yo...so defensive and yet so wrong. No pollution? ho ho ho this is the BIGGEST dumbest piece of hogwash I ever heard from you.

Go check what an oil refinery does and what it emits. Then come back and talk lah.

No pollution? There is an article I read on industralised areas pertaining to Singapore in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. The title is Lichens as Bioindicators of Atmospheric Heavy Metal Pollution in Singapore , written by NUS researchers. If those lichens are absorbing metals from the air , what do you think the people in Jurong are breathing?

We are not talking about a country whose size can be seen on a map. We are talking about a highly densely populated country with land so scarce that the property prices are already skyrocketing.

Every single country has a form of pollution problem. To deny that Singapore has pollution , is a form of delusion. The scientific study done in Singapore has just proven you wrong like the Constitution of Singapore.

Gazelle SG

Australia has long experience with mining and the world biggest exporter of coal. Coal pollutes when it is mined, transported to the power plant, stored, and burned. Just look at china, they are polluted with Australia coal.

LazerLordz SG

Don't put words in my mouth regarding Jurong West, nor presume you know what I'm talking about.

Sheesh, this sort of presumptious behaviour only happens in Speakers' Corner. Rolling Eyes

I'll not comment more, but merely direct you and those interested to Fymk's reference to the NUS study or any other related studies on absorption of particulates by organisms.

rooki SG

So?

Relevance? What does it have to do with fymk's comments?

Gazelle SG

it all about enviroment isnt it? Anyway fymk, I suggest you start a new thread about enviroment since your beloved australia is finally going to sign the kyoto protocol.

fymk SG

Let me put in a simple yet clear manner for you to understand my comments:

Look at the bigger picture instead of the smaller picture . Investments are all good, provided it is not at the expense of Singaporeans particularly those living in Jurong West and Boon Lay.

I am asking about the environmental impact management of those investments. Singapore is not a big country which can afford to put in large buffer zones. Even the bigger countries have environmental pollution which seriously affects the health of certain communities near the industrial areas and mining zones.

Think of it as a chance to brag to me about how Singapore plans to control pollution from those plants in a world class manner.

sgdiehard SG

if every country has a pollution problem, why is there a need to talk about singapore? so you think australia got no refineries? or because australia is big so it is ok to pollute the atmosphere?

if refineries emission is a concern, why don't you talk about cars and other motor vehicles? don't try to talk about things that you do not know. Mr. Green

sgdiehard SG

honestly I don't give a damn what you said about jurong west, or any study unless those studies prove that our current standard of air pollution control is insufficient to control the particles emitted in the air and can cause harm to human body. any emission that are above the standard that could raise an alarm is most likely to come from human negligence or accident.

we are probably breathing in more harmful particles from car emission than any other combined.

Dont bother to comment. I am really not interested unless you have anything to prove that refineries operation in singapore is causing pollution.