News

In celebration of Singapore’s 50th birthday, Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp) will donate S$10 million to rejuvenate the Cool House, a temperature-controlled glasshouse at the National Orchid Garden within the Singapore Botanic Gardens, where visitors can view rare and beautiful orchids from Asia, America and Africa. The orchids are housed in a simulated environment with cooler temperatures, drifting mist and a waterfall, which are commonly seen in high elevation habitats where they originate.

Sembcorp’s commitment of S$10 million, made through the Garden City Fund, National Parks Board’s (NParks) registered charity, is the largest single donation made to the fund by a corporate partner to date, and is symbolic of the company’s commitment to local roots and cultivating a deeper appreciation for our green spaces.

The donation will contribute towards the expansion and enhancement of the Cool House (to be renamed The Sembcorp Cool House), which will see a doubling of the current orchid collection to at least 2,000 species, a new climate control system, and an enhanced visitor experience.

Sustainability and energy-efficiency will play a big part in The Sembcorp Cool House, with the use of optimal system designs and advanced cooling technology to simulate the tropical highland environment. In addition to the donation, Sembcorp will be able to offer its advice and engineering expertise to the project, given its global expertise in the provision of energy, water and sustainable urban solutions.

Tang Kin Fei, Group President & CEO of Sembcorp Industries, said, “As we celebrate Singapore’s Golden Jubilee, Sembcorp is proud to play a part in building a world-class destination of educational and scientific value, while supporting Singapore’s environmental biodiversity. The Sembcorp Cool House will be crucial in horticultural research as well as to help connect, educate and inspire the broader community to cultivate a deeper respect for the environment, which is very much in line with our company ethos.

“As Singapore embarks on her next lap in nation building, Sembcorp hopes to continue the country’s greening journey and celebrate the natural heritage of a nation otherwise proudly known as a City in a Garden.”

Upon completion in 2018, visitors can look forward to a more seamless experience walking through the Sembcorp Cool House, located in the National Orchid Garden, to the Tan Hoon Siang Mist House and Yuen Peng McNeice Bromeliad collection. This will allow some 500,000 Singaporeans and tourists who visit the National Orchid Garden every year to see the plant and orchid species transit from tropical to subtropical climates before their very eyes, as they move through the different levels of simulated elevation.

This project is the latest in a line of initiatives that underscore Sembcorp’s sustained and ongoing commitment to the promotion and conservation of the broader environment. In 2010, it pledged over S$1 million to establish the Sembcorp Forest of Giants, a forest of giant emergent trees at the Southern Ridges, and also enabled important education and conservation programmes like the two-day Festival of Biodiversity in 2014. This is an annual celebration to showcase and promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of Singapore’s rich heritage.

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Crystal Low (Ms)
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ABOUT SEMBCORP INDUSTRIES

Sembcorp Industries is a leading energy, water and marine group operating across six continents worldwide. With facilities of over 7,200 megawatts of gross power capacity and over eight million cubic metres of water per day in operation and under development, Sembcorp is a trusted provider of essential energy and water solutions to both industrial and municipal customers. It is also a world leader in marine and offshore engineering as well as an established brand name in urban development.

The Group has total assets of over S$16 billion and employs approximately 10,000 employees. Listed on the main board of the Singapore Exchange, it is a component stock of the Straits Times Index and several MSCI and FTSE indices.