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New competition aims to nurture students’ interest in water technology and environmental issues. The first of its kind, this competition will see university scientists mentoring contestants for their projects.

The Sembcorp Water Technology Prize, an inaugural national competition sponsored by Sembcorp Industries and co-organised by PUB – Singapore’s national water agency, the Nanyang Technological University (NTU)’s Singapore Membrane Technology Centre (SMTC) and Singapore Polytechnic (SP), was launched today at a networking event for young water talent held on the sidelines of the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW).

The competition opens today for applications from students from Secondary Two to Year Two of Junior College. It aims to encourage and guide students in developing potential solutions to address challenges facing the water industry today. Competing teams will be mentored by top researchers from SMTC based within NTU, as well as by lecturers from SP. Winners will be selected based on their hands-on projects.

The first year of the competition will feature the theme of membrane and bioreactor technology. Selected teams will build their very own multi-thousand-dollar hollow fibre membrane systems over a period of five months to explore means of reducing energy consumption in the membrane system.

The high degree of mentoring, guidance and training featured in the competition will allow budding talent to learn about membrane technology and advanced equipment which they may otherwise be unfamiliar with. Dr Adrian Yeo, the creator of the Sembcorp Water Technology Prize, commented, “By exposing young minds to the important field of water technology and mentoring them to come up with practical solutions to real-life problems, I hope they will be inspired to play their part and to think of new ways in tackling water and environmental issues. This could also spur students’ interest in pursuing related courses in water and the environment, adding to the wealth of talent in the industry.”

Dr Yeo is a Research Fellow at the SMTC, and also the founder and General Manager of Membrane Instruments and Technology Pte Ltd (MINT), a start-up company based within NTU that specialises in membrane sensing technology. He is the winner of the inaugural Don Quixote Fund Award 2009 set up by Dr. Andrew Benedek, who previously won the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize in 2008.

Mr Yap Kheng Guan, Director of 3P Network, PUB, remarked, “It is important for the young people to know how Singapore has used technology to ensure a sustainable water supply and to understand issues on environmental and water sustainability.”
 
Mr Tang Kin Fei, Group President and CEO of Sembcorp Industries said, “As a leading local water company, Sembcorp is very pleased to support this competition. By giving youths an introduction to water technology and guiding them in trying their hand at developing solutions to address challenges facing the water industry today, we hope the Sembcorp Water Technology Prize will excite young people about water technology and encourage the development of a future generation of talent to support the growth of our industry.”

For more information on how to apply for the Sembcorp Water Technology Prize, please contact Ms Diana Cheong at [email protected]. Contest details can be found in Annex 1.

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For media enquiries, please contact:

Fock Siu Ling (Ms)
PR Counsel
Sembcorp Industries
DID: +65 6723 3152
Email: [email protected]

Alancia Winnie Neo (Ms)
Manager, Group Corporate Relations
Sembcorp Industries
DID: +65 6723 3249
Email: [email protected]

Lim Siew Wee
Senior Communications Manager
PUB, the national water agency
Mobile: +65 97300823
E-mail: [email protected]

ABOUT SEMBCORP INDUSTRIES

Sembcorp Industries is a leading energy, water and marine group. With facilities with over 5,200 megawatts of power capacity and over four million cubic metres of water per day in operation and under development, Sembcorp is a trusted provider of essential energy and water solutions to customers in Singapore, China, India, Vietnam, the UK, Oman and the UAE.

Sembcorp provides total water and wastewater solutions that meet our industrial and municipal customers’ needs. Providing innovative solutions for clean and sustainable water, we help our customers comply with discharge regulations, limit their environmental impact and conserve resources.

Sembcorp pioneered the commercial reclamation of municipal and industrial wastewater effluent into high purity reclaimed water in Singapore using advanced membrane systems such as microfiltration and reverse osmosis. In addition, we developed, own and operate the Sembcorp NEWater Plant, the largest NEWater plant in Singapore and one of the world’s largest membrane-based water reclamation plants.

Aside from its energy and water business, the Sembcorp Industries Group also encompasses a world leader in marine & offshore engineering, as well as an established provider of environmental services and developer of integrated townships and industrial parks. The Group has total assets of over S$9 billion and employs more than 6,700 employees. Listed on the main board of the Singapore Exchange, it is a component stock of the Straits Times Index and several MSCI indices.

Note to Editors:
Following a company rebrand, please refer to the company as “Sembcorp” (with “S” in upper case and “c” in lower case), or “Sembcorp Industries” in full. Please also note that “Sembcorp” is not an abbreviation of “Sembawang Corporation” but a brand name in itself, and it is therefore incorrect to refer to our company as “Sembawang”, “Sembawang Corporation” or similar.

ABOUT PUB

PUB is a statutory board under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. It is the water agency that manages Singapore’s water supply, water catchment and sewerage in an integrated way. PUB was named Water Agency of the Year at the Global Water Awards 2006.

About PUB’s tagline: Water for All: Conserve, Value, Enjoy
PUB has ensured a diversified and sustainable supply of water for Singapore with the Four National Taps (local catchment water, imported water, NEWater, desalinated water).

To provide water for all, PUB calls on all Singaporeans to play our part to conserve water, keep our water catchments and waterways clean and build a relationship with water so we can enjoy our water resources. We can then have enough water for all uses – for industry, for living, for life.

About Singapore Membrane Technology Centre (SMTC)
The Singapore Membrane Technology Centre (SMTC) was established in January 2008 to do fundamental and applied research in membrane technology. In particular, it has a mission to be a world class research centre in membranes for the environment and water technology industries (EWT). SMTC is part of the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) ‘ecosystem’, and is supported by NTU, EWI and industry. The Director of SMTC is Professor Tony Fane and the Deputy Director is Associate Professor Wang Rong.