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PUB Water R&D Approach8 September 2015

Jeslyn ThongAssistant Director

Technology Department

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Programme on 8 Sept 2015

930am-1015am Overview of PUB and EWI · PUB’s approach to R&D· Highlights of key R&D projects· Overview of EWI’s strategies and funding Schemes

10.15am – 11.40am Sharing by DTU

12noon – 1.15 pm Lunch

1.30pm to 2.30pm Visit to Integrated Validation Plant @ Ulu Pandan Water Reclamation PlantHosted by Mr Wah Yuen Long

2.30pm – 3.00pm Travel to NEWater Visitor Centre

3.00pm – 4.00pm Guided Tour of NEWater Visitor Centre

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Outline of Briefing

Our Approach in R&D

Overview of R&D Progress

Background and Role of EWI

Highlight of Projects in Key Areas

Our Partners

Our R&D Technology Roadmaps

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Outline of Briefing

Our Approach in R&D

Overview of R&D Progress

Background and Role of EWI

Highlight of Projects in Key Areas

Our Partners

Our R&D Technology Roadmaps

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Singapore’s Water Challenges

Singapore

� Lack of Storage

�Competing Land Use

• Land Area: ~ 700 km2

• Population: 5 million people

• Water Demand: 400 MGD

• Rainfall: 2.4 m

• Catchment areas: 66%

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Rising Energy Prices

Stringent Regulations& Public Expectations

Prices set to increase in the long run

Population Growth

Rise of Megacities

Climate Change

No Pristine Water Sources

Challenges Ahead

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Non-

domestic

55%

Supply

Desalinated water

10%

NEWater 30%

Imported

water

Local catchment

Domestic

45%

Demand

2010

Non-

domestic

70%

Domestic

30%

Desalinated water

25%

NEWater 55%

Imported

water

Local catchment

SupplyDemand

2060

Water demand in 2060 = 2 x Water demand in 2011*

Energy

• Triple from 1050 to 3200 GWh/year

• Footprint increase from 1.7 to 2.5 kWh/m3

Sludge

• Double to more than 600,000 tonnes /year

Water Quality

• Maintaining good water quality and security increasingly challenging

Land Use

• Siting of infrastructure increasingly challenging

Singapore’s Water Challenges

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Waste

Minimisation

Key

Drivers

Strategic Thrusts of R&D:

1. Increase water resources

2. Protect water quality and

security

3. Reduce production cost

Driver:

“Adequate Water Supply”:

•Rainfall: 2.4 m

•Land area: 700 km2

•Large domestic and industrial demand

Driver:

“Good Water Quality”:

•Water resources coming from

unconventional sources

Drivers for PUB’s R&D

PUB’s strategy for long term sustainability of our water supply is to continue

leveraging on technological innovation to overcome the water challenges.

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searainstormwater

management

collection

of rainfall

in drains &

reservoirs

treatment of

raw to potable

water

reclamation

of

used water

collection

of used water

in sewers

supply of

water to the

population &

industries

treatment

of

used water

desalinationdesalination

collection

of rainfall

in drains &

reservoirs

1. Increase Water Resources

reclamation

of

used water

2. Water Recycling 3. Improve efficiency

4. Improve Water Quality 5. Improve Water Security

PUB’s R&D Strategies

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Upstream fundamental research(Usually carried out in laboratory scale in tertiary and research institutes)

Challenges

Break-throughs

Pilot studies

Demo plant studies

Our Approach to Water R&D

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1. Source for new ideas

2. Benchmark against existing

system

3. Improve technology

through basic and applied research

4. Demonstrate and implement

improvised technology

4-step Approach:

Assessment of New Technology/ Idea

Starting with the end in mind…..

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Outline of Briefing

Our Approach in R&D

Overview of R&D Progress

Background and Role of EWI

Highlight of Projects in Key Areas

Our Partners

Our R&D Technology Roadmaps

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Water as Strategic Growth Area

Environment and Water Industry Programme Office (EWI)

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Growing the Water IndustryWhole of Government Approach

Whole of Government 3 Strategic Thrusts

Funding: S$330M in 2006S$140M in 2011

2015 Targets: 1. Triple VA contribution to S$1.7B2. Double employment to 11,000

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Growing the Water IndustryBuilding the Strong Foundation

Pipeline of trained manpower to support industry growth• Over 330 Masters / PhD trained• Over 360 researchers / engineers / grad students• 47 PhDs sponsored to date

Impressive progress in a relative short period (7 years) in growing the Singapore water industry.- Clean Water Mid-Term Review Panel and International Advisory Panel (2013)

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Investing in Technology

Supporting Technology Development

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Outline of Briefing

Our Approach in R&D

Overview of R&D Progress

Background and Role of EWI

Highlight of Projects in Key Areas

Our Partners

Our R&D Technology Roadmaps

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On PUB front,• PUB started its R&D programme in collaboration with

local and international organisations since 2002

• No. of Projects to-date: 405

• Total Project Value: S$245 mil (38% PUB, 30% NRF, 32% external)

• Increase of annual R&D Budget from S$5mil to S$20mil in 2010

On EWI front,• Develop and implement EWI’s Environment and Water Research Program (EWRP)

• Launched a total of 18 requests-for-proposals (RFPs) under IRIS scheme since 2006

• Total funding of S$181.5mil for 106 projects awarded to-date, 9 proposals are in the process of awarding

Status of R&D

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Outline of Briefing

Our Approach in R&D

Overview of R&D Progress

Background and Role of EWI

Highlight of Projects in Key Areas

Our Partners

Our R&D Technology Roadmaps

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R&D Technology Roadmaps

Copyright © 2013 PUB All Rights Reserved

Biological Processes•Anaerobic MBR•Granular sludge processes•Low energy nutrient/organic removal•Anaerobic sludge digestion

Chemical Redox Technologies •Advanced oxidation technologies•Disinfection technologies

Desalination and Water Reuse•Ceramic Membranes•Electrochemical desalting•Biomimetics / Biomimicry•Membrane fouling control•Process improvements•Membrane improvements

Sludge and Brine Management (EWW Nexus)•Osmotic power PRO/RED•Sludge-to-energy conversion•Resource recovery from residues•Sludge management

Water Quality Analysis•Rapid detection of emerging pollutants•Fish biosensors•Rapid microbial detection•Sensors for membrane systems•“Living lab” on the reservoir

Technically Feasible and Economically Viable Water Solutions

New Ideas and Innovations

Water Distribution•Smart grid development (data mining and data analytics) •Network Modelling / Cloud computing

Watershed Management•Intelligent watershed management (data mining and analytics)•Climate change modelling•Phytoremediative treatment of water

Groundwater / Underground Caverns•Geophysical/geotechnical surveys•Water quality management / treatment•Sustainable water extraction/use•Energy recovery

Decentralised Water Treatment Technologies•Small-scale point of use technologies•Greywater Recycling•Sewer Mining technologies•Stormwater technologies

Industrial Water Technologies•Industrial wastewater treatment•Membrane distillation•Seawater cooling•Adsorption chillers •Novel heat exchangers•Reduction in evaporative loss

Planning and Infrastructure

Needs

Manpower Challenge

Sustainability & Land Use

Automation / Robotics•Self-correction /self-control of plant•Intelligent CCTV system for remote plant supervision•Process-design automation•Robotics for inspection / surveillance

Improve and Protect

Water QualityReduce

Energy Consumption

IncreaseWater Resources

MinimiseWaste Generation

Lower Chemical Usage

Decrease Water Production

Costs

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searainstormwater

management

collection

of rainfall

in drains &

reservoirs

treatment of

raw to potable

water

reclamation

of

used water

collection

of used water

in sewerssupply of

water to the

population &

industries

treatment

of

used water

desalination

Variable Salinity Process

Low Energy MBR

Water Quality Modelling and

Prediction

Integrated Anaerobic &

Aerobic Treatment

Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring

and AnalysisRegenerative

Photocatalysts

BiomimeticMembranes

MicrobialFuel Cells

Electrochemical Desalting

Source Control

Reducing Evaporation

Biomimicry

Membrane Distillation Membrane

Integrity Sensors

Rainfall Prediction

Robust Sensors

Microbial Source

Tracking

Contaminants of Emerging Concerns

R&D in the Water Loop

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Outline of Briefing

Our Approach in R&D

Overview of R&D Progress

Background and Role of EWI

Highlight of Projects in Key Areas

Our Partners

Our R&D Technology Roadmaps

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1) Desalination – Breakthrough in Energy Reduction

Current

3.5kWh/m3

Short-term

<1.5kWh/m3

Long-term

<1kWh/m3

SWRO

� Variable Salinity Process : 1.7 kWh/m3

� Memstill (with waste heat): 1.0 kWh/m3

� Electrochemical Desalting: 1.5 kWh/m3

Breakthrough R&D

� Biomimetic

� Biomimicry

Aquaporins

Mangrove

Electrochemical Desalting – Disruptive Paradigm Shift

Seawater contains only 3.5 wt% of salts (mainly Na+ and Cl-) with the rest being water.

Disruptive Paradigm Shift:

Why drive 1 T of water through RO membrane instead of moving 35 kg of salts?

Using electric field to move ions out of seawater at 1.5kWh/m3

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Osmotic Power – Current Technologies

Desalination Plant

co-location

NEWater Factory

Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO): • Osmosis through a semi-permeable membrane dependent on the osmotic

pressure difference of 2 streams, generating a water flux to generate power via a hydropower turbine.

Brine

Brine

Energy-Waste-Water Nexus:

� Co-location of facilities to exploit salinity

gradient power from SWRO and NEWater

brines

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Final Sedimentation Tank

Used Water Treatment NEWater Treatment

Aeration Basin

Primary Sedimentation

Tank

Microfiltration /Ultrafiltration

Reverse Osmosis

Ultraviolet Disinfection

Used Water NEWater

Membrane Bioreactors

Piloting tested three MBRs

(300 m3/d) in 2004

Reverse Osmosis

Ultraviolet Disinfection

Primary Sedimentation

Tank

Membrane Bioreactor

Advantages of MBR:

�Smaller Footprint

�Improved NEWater Quality

Challenge:

�High Energy Requirements

2) Reduced Energy and Footprint for NEWater Production

Energy reduced

from >1.0 kWh/m3

to <0.4 kWh/m3

through R&D.

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Pilot Plant Study

Demo Plant (Optimization) Study

� 6 MBR Pilot Studies� >20 MBR Testbedding Studies

Membrane BioreactorsNew Used Water Treatment Paradigm

Global benchmark !

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3) Energy-efficient WRPs with higher recovery

UASB-MBR Demo Integrated Validation Plant

• 1 MGD UASB-Ceramic MBR demo plant at

JWRP ($10.3 mil)

• 1000 m3/d Integrated Validation Plant at

UPWRP ($4.8 mil)

• Pilot and validate research findings

• Incorporate technologies for Tuas WRP (2022)

UASB tanks

Aeration tanks

Ceramic

membranes

Expected Outcomes of IVP (24 mths)

• 150% more energy recovery

• 40% reduction of net system energy

consumption

• 30% reduction in plant footprint

• 10% reduction in quantity of waste

dewatered sludge

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Camera

Fish Tank

4) Enhancing Water Security

Fish Activity Monitoring System (FAMS)

Ensuring good water quality• Round-the-clock surveillance of drinking water quality• 42 units installed, another 27 units to be deployed in 2015

Improving manpower productivity• Automated water quality monitoring• Remote monitoring

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4) Enhancing Water Security

On-line Detection of Cryptosporidium within 1 hour

• EWI Challenge Call in 2008• At least 6 times better than state-of-the-art that requires more than 6 hours• Spin-offs

Next Steps• Prototype development• Validation testing• Extend to testing of viruses and bacteria

Pre-concentration and detection chips

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Service Reservoir

WSCC

Distribution System

� Online Event Detection (CANARY)

� Source Identification (PONI)

� Sensor Placement (SPOT)� Next

Generation Microbial Sensors

Imported Water

Mobile Water Quality Stations

Water Sampling

BaselineData

� Fish Biosensors� FAMS� Transgenic Fish

� Piezoelectric� N DLC: Pt� MZI sensors

� Wireless Data Transmission

Online Sensors(pumping mains)

Online Sensors(critical locations)

5) Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring

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… and consumes more than

half Singapore’s water supply

Manufacturing accounts for

20-25% of Singapore’s economy…

21%Electronics

• 45% share of world’s hard disk

media

• 11% of world’s foundry wafer

output

• 16 wafer fabrication plants

Marine & Offshore

•70% of world’s jack-up oil rigs

Chemicals & Process

• >S$37 bil assets in petchem

cluster

•Refining capacity of 1.3 mbpd

Opportunity to apply national strategic

imperative to

COLLECT, RECOLLECT & REUSEevery drop of industrial water,

to achieve zero liquid discharge and water reuse

EXAMPLES OF WATER INTENSIVE INDUSTRIES

Non-

domestic

55%

Non-

domestic

70%

2012 2060

Total water demand (mgd) 400 800

Non-domestic demand (mgd)

200 560

New Focus Areas – Industrial Water Solutions

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Outline of Briefing

Our Approach in R&D

Overview of R&D Progress

Background and Role of EWI

Highlight of Projects in Key Areas

Our Partners

Our R&D Technology Roadmaps

More than 100 test-bedding projects at PUB facilities - Bringing technology

closer to the market.

Graham Tek 16-inch RO pilot plant

FO-MBR

Partner: GE WaterPartners: Evoqua

Partner: KIWA Partner: Mann+Hummel Ultraflo

Solar desalination

Partner: Tritech

MBBR-UF

EDIAnMBR

Working closely with Industry to Test New Technologies/Ideas

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PUB is not in this alone

Local Water Companies

Global Water Players & UtilitiesOverseas Institutions

Local Academic Institutions

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TTTTHANKHANKHANKHANK YYYYOUOUOUOU