Singapore Integrated Waste Management Facility

With a population density of more than 8,000 inhabitants per km2 – third highest in the world – ensuring access to clean water and sustainable waste management represent unique challenges in Singapore. Singapore’s new Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF), which will be the world’s largest energy recovery facility, will contribute significantly to meeting both. By establishing the facility next to the new Tuas WRP water reclamation plant it will be possible to maximise energy and resource recovery, minimise the environmental impact, and optimise land use footprint.

The IWMF will consist of a waste-to-energy facility and a sludge incineration plant. In addition, the IWMF will handle food waste and separate recyclable waste at a material recovery facility.

Singapore’s National Water Agency (PUB) and Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) appointed Ramboll to conceptually design the IWMF. Ramboll was also tasked with developing ways in which the IMWF and the water treatment could benefit from being located at the same site, e.g. through improved material handling, energy and water use and odour/ventilation.

After the conceptual design phase, Ramboll prepared the technical design report and tender specifications and negotiated the contract with the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors. During the design and execution phase, Ramboll is the project’s technical advisor, providing owner’s engineering services.

The first of its kind

The two facilities will become part of Singapore’s extensive Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS), which aims to create a “superhighway” to collect, treat, and dispose of used water. The IWMF is a key solid waste management facility for the handling of multiple waste streams.

It is the first time ever that two such facilities have been designed to be co-located – meaning that they share the same site – from the initial project plan. By placing these two facilities side by side, they can efficiently collect, treat, recycle and discharge used water, enhancing the overall sustainability of both.

Zero waste ambitions

Singapore has ambitions to become a Zero Waste Nation with a recycling percentage of 70% by 2030. Currently, about 37% of the country’s waste is incinerated at four waste-to-energy facilities, 60% is recycled, and the residual waste, 3%, is landfilled.

The IWMF will contribute significantly to those ambitions, with a capacity to process more than 2.5 million tonnes of solid waste annually, which is five times the capacity of the largest European waste-to-energy facilities. The sludge incineration plant will also be among the largest in the world with two large, fluidised bed combustion systems.

It will generate 2,565 MWh electricity per day, meeting up to 3% of Singapore’s total electricity demand.

One of the key challenges in Singapore is limited space. Therefore, Ramboll has developed solutions that meet these space restrictions, minimising land use while at the same time ensuring environmental protection and maximising energy output.

The integrated DTSS project is expected to be partly operational in 2026, and fully operational in 2027.

Read more: https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/waste-management/3r-programmes-and-resources/waste-management-infrastructure/integrated-waste-management-facility