TSE Jun 21 - Web

THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, SINGAPORE
THE www.ies.org.sg
SINGAPORE
ENGINEER
June 2021 | MCI (P) 020/03/2021
COVER STORY:
Sembcorp Industries unveils bold
climate action plan
PLUS
CHARTERED ENGINEER PROFILE: An attractive pathway towards a purposeful career in engineering
DIGITALISATION: New signal analyser enables customers test performance of millimeter-wave innovations
CFD SIMULATION: Using a supercomputer for product innovation
CHARTERED ENGINEER
(SINGAPORE)
❑ AEROSPACE ❑ RAILWAY & ❑ PORT & MARINE

TRANSPORTATION
❑ ENERGY ❑ ENVIRONMENTAL ❑ SYSTEMS

& WATER ❑ DIGITAL (New!)
❑ CHEMICAL & ❑ INFRASTRUCTURE ❑ ENGINEERING

PROCESS PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
*** Get your skills and competency Certified! ***

*** Apply Now! Visit us at www.charteredengineers.sg ***
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CONTENTS
FEATURES
COVER STORY
14 Sembcorp Industries unveils bold climate action plan
The group is committed to the target of net-zero emissions
by 2050.
MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL 14

ENGINEERING
16 A home-grown specialist in cooling tower technologies
The company won an Enterprise 50 Award for 2020.
CHARTERED ENGINEER PROFILE

18 An attractive pathway towards a purposeful career in
engineering
‘The Singapore Engineer’ speaks to a Chartered Engineer on
his career progression.
DIGITALISATION 21
21 Pushing past the tipping point: how Singapore is leading
the charge in electric vehicles
The technologies deployed highlight the economic, social
and environmental gains possible.
24 New signal analyser enables customers test performance
of millimeter-wave innovations
Industries that will benefit include 5G, aerospace and
defence, automotive, and satellite communications.
26 Rising trends in the adoption of collaborative automation
Advantages include competitive costs, rapid payback and
ease of deployment.
24
President Publications Manager Editorial Panel Design & layout by 2EZ Asia Pte Ltd
Dr Richard Kwok Desmond Teo Dr Chandra Segaran
Cover designed by Irin Kuah
desmond@iesnet.org.sg Prof Er Meng Joo
Chief Editor Dr Ang Keng Been Cover images by Sembcorp Industries
T Bhaskaran Snr Publications Executive Mr Gary Chiam
Queek Jiayu Dr Victor Sim Published by
t_b_n8@yahoo.com The Institution of Engineers, Singapore
jiayu@iesnet.org.sg Mr Syafiq Shahul 70 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289758
Dr Alexander Wiegand Tel: 6469 5000 I Fax: 6467 1108
Media Representative
Printed in Singapore
Multimedia Communications
(2000) Pte Ltd
sales@multimediacomms.sg
THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 01

June 2021
www.ies.org.sg
CFD SIMULATION
28 Using a supercomputer for product innovation
Previously unfeasible simulations can now be done much
faster.
PROJECT APPLICATION
28
30 Developing expertise in smart office lighting through
implementations
The collaboration between a leading design and engineering
consultancy and a world leader in lighting yields positive
results.
31 Driving sustainability throughout the supply chain
Digital solutions help to increase energy efficiency.
SUSTAINABILITY
32 Innovative carbon capture technologies
An overview of the different methods currently deployed and
30
those that are being developed.
34 The road to greener hydrogen
A look at the existing scenario and future possibilities.
REGULAR SECTIONS
03 INDUSTRY NEWS
13 EVENTS
35 PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS
39 IES UPDATE 31
The Singapore Engineer is published monthly by The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The publication is distributed free-of-charge
to IES members and affiliates. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or IES. All rights reserved.
No part of this magazine shall be reproduced, mechanically or electronically, without the prior consent of IES. Whilst every care is taken
to ensure accuracy of the content at press time, IES will not be liable for any discrepancies. Unsolicited contributions are welcome but
their inclusion in the magazine is at the discretion of the Editor.
02 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

June 2021
INDUSTRY NEWS
JTC AND SHELL TO EXPLORE THE DEVELOPMENT
OF A SOLAR FARM IN SEMAKAU

JTC Corporation (JTC) and Shell Singapore have signed Luke Goh, Chief Executive Officer of NEA, said, “NEA is
a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) happy to support the deployment of a solar farm on
supported by the National Environment Agency (NEA) Semakau Landfill. It will contribute towards the national
and Energy Market Authority (EMA) to jointly explore solar deployment target and complement NEA's resource
developing a solar farm on part of Semakau Landfill, south sustainability initiatives. Semakau Landfill remains
of the Singapore mainland. If successful, the solar farm Singapore’s only operational landfill. To preserve its
would reduce the country’s carbon emissions and meet capacity for as long as possible, we are redoubling efforts
its growing clean energy needs. The solar farm will also to reduce waste and close the waste loop”.
be the first large-scale solar project in Singapore where a
Ngiam Shih Chun, Chief Executive of EMA, said,
sanitary landfill is also used for clean energy generation.
“Our energy sector is moving towards a cleaner and
This project is aligned with Singapore’s target to increase more sustainable future. Solar is our most promising
solar deployment to at least 2 GWp by 2030. renewable energy source and is a key switch for
decarbonisation. Given our limited land space, EMA has
The solar farm is expected take up an area of 60 ha and
been working with government agencies and industry
have a capacity of at least 72 MWp, sufficient to reduce
players on innovative ways to harness more solar
CO2 emissions by 37,000 tonnes a year. The energy
energy. I look forward to the successful implementation
produced can power up to 17,500 households for a year.
of this offshore solar farm on Semakau Landfill which
The 37,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year is calculated
will demonstrate how we can be creative in our solar
based on EMA’s Electricity Grid Emission Factors 2020.
deployment”.
The equivalent number of households is based on EMA’s
Average Monthly Household Electricity Consumption by In November 2020, Shell Singapore outlined a 10-year
Dwelling Type 2020. plan, under which, the company would make significant
investments in people, assets and capabilities to
Generating solar energy on this scale on an offshore
repurpose its core business and cut its own CO2
operational landfill comes with its fair share of
emissions in the country by about a third within a
complexity and challenges. This is where the innovation
decade. The reduction is in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and
and creativity of a joint taskforce made up of the various
for 100% Shell-controlled operations in Singapore. The
government agencies and Shell come into play, to ensure
reduction is measured against the baseline year of 2018.
that an optimal balance is achieved.
As part of this 10-year plan, Shell is transforming its
Shell’s Pulau Bukom Energy and Chemicals Park is located
manufacturing business, making it fit for the new
just 2 km northwest of Semakau Landfill. Working together
future, where Pulau Bukom Energy and Chemicals Park
allows an innovative integration of an intermittent
is pivoting from a crude-oil, fuels-based product slate
renewable source with Bukom.
towards new, low-carbon value chains. Shell has set out
Tan Boon Khai, CEO of JTC said, “JTC is piloting new its target to be a net-zero emissions energy business by
sustainable energy innovations with Shell to maximise 2050, in step with society and with customers.
the use of renewable energy solutions for our industries.
This project is an example of how we are tapping
available land to double up for solar generation to
maximise renewable energy generation. Such close Collaboration to advance
collaborations are part of our SolarLand initiative to decarbonisation solutions
optimise available land for solar generation in support of
Singapore’s clean energy switch”. Researchers from the National University of
Singapore (NUS) and Shell will jointly develop novel
Aw Kah Peng, Chairman of Shell Companies in Singapore, processes to use carbon dioxide (CO2), a byproduct of
said, “This multi-agency-corporate partnership is a great industrial processes, to produce fuels and chemicals
showcase of the creativity and collaboration that are vital for the energy industry. Supported by the National
to success in energy transition. With a common goal of Research Foundation Singapore (NRF), this SGD 4.6
enabling more and cleaner energy, we look forward to million research programme was formalised by all
exploring with our partners this opportunity to maximise three parties at a ceremony held recently.
the use of Semakau in a way that is compatible with
its primary purpose as a landfill. This project is aligned This three-year research programme aims to
with our 10-year plan to repurpose our core business, electrochemically produce industrially useful
cut our own CO2 emissions in the country and help our ethanol and n-propanol from CO2 which is
customers decarbonise”. otherwise released into the atmosphere.

June 2021
INDUSTRY NEWS
GLOBAL ENERGY INVESTMENTS

SET TO RECOVER IN 2021
BUT REMAIN FAR FROM A NET ZERO PATHWAY
Global investment in energy is set to rebound by liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion and to include
nearly 10% in 2021 to USD 1.9 trillion, reversing most carbon capture technologies in this investment, is
of last year’s drop caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a strong signal of its intent to maintain a leadership
but spending on clean energy transitions needs to position in LNG.
accelerate much more rapidly to meet climate goals,
according to a new report from the International There are signs in the latest data that spending by some
Energy Agency (IEA). global oil and gas companies is starting to diversify.
IEA analysis last year highlighted that only around 1%
With energy investment returning to pre-crisis levels, of capital spending by the industry was going to clean
its composition is continuing to shift towards electricity energy investments. But project tracking to-date in
- 2021 is on course to be the sixth year in a row 2021 suggests that this could rise to 4% this year for the
that investment in the power sector exceeds that in industry as a whole, and well above 10% for some of the
traditional oil and gas supply, according to the World leading European companies.
Energy Investment 2021 report.
The influence of recovery packages and new climate
Global power sector investment is set to increase by policy measures comes through in expectations of rising
around 5% in 2021 to more than USD 820 billion, its expenditure in 2021 on renewable power, electricity
highest ever level, after staying flat in 2020. Renewables grids, energy efficiency (notably in the building sector
are dominating investment in new power generation in Europe), and energing technologies (such as carbon
capacity and are expected to account for 70% of the total capture, utilisation and storage; and low-carbon
this year. And that money now goes further than ever in hydrogen). The United States may provide further
financing clean electricity, with a dollar spent on solar PV momentum if the infrastructure plan proposed by the
deployment today resulting in four times more electricity administration of President Joe Biden is enacted.
than 10 years ago, thanks to greatly improved technology
and falling costs. Financial markets are also providing encouraging signs
for clean energy investment. Sustainable debt issuance
“The rebound in energy investment is a welcome sign, reached a record level in 2020, and renewable power
and I am encouraged to see more of it flowing towards companies have outperformed fossil fuel companies on
renewables. But much greater resources have to be international equity markets.
mobilised and directed to clean energy technologies
to put the world on track to reach net-zero emissions But even though spending on clean energy is set to rise
by 2050. Based on our new Net Zero Roadmap, clean in 2021 by around 7%, the report notes that growth
energy investment will need to triple by 2030”, said Dr in these capital expenditures has lagged changes in
Fatih Birol, Executive Director, IEA. financial markets, in part due to a shortage of high-
quality, clean energy investment opportunities and
While renewables dominate new power investment, appropriate channels for allocating capital into projects.
and approvals for coal-fired plants are some 80% below
where they were five years ago, coal is not out of the The anticipated USD 750 billion to be spent on
picture. There was even a slight increase in go-aheads for clean energy technologies and efficiency in 2021 is
coal-fired plants in 2020, driven by China and some other encouraging but remains far below what is required
Asian economies. to put the energy system on a sustainable path. Clean
energy investment would need to triple in the 2020s to
Upstream oil and gas investment is expected to rise by put the world on track to reach net-zero emissions by
about 10% in 2021 as companies recover financially 2050, thereby keeping the door open for a stabilisation
from the shock of 2020, but their spending remains of the rise in global temperatures at 1.5°C.
well below pre-crisis levels. The new report highlights
the diverging strategies among different oil and gas “As set out in detail in our recent Roadmap to Net
companies. Zero by 2050, governments need to go beyond making
pledges to cut emissions and take concrete steps to
The majors are holding oil and gas spending flat accelerate investments in market-ready clean energy
on aggregate in 2021, despite recovering prices. solutions and promote innovation in early-stage
Meanwhile, some national oil companies are stepping technologies”, said Dr Birol.
up investment, raising the possibility of increased
market share if demand continues to grow. Qatar’s “Clear policy signals from governments would reduce the
decision to move ahead with the world’s largest uncertainties associated with clean energy investments

June 2021
INDUSTRY NEWS
and provide investors with the long-term visibility they

need. Our roadmap shows there are huge opportunities
for companies, investors, workers and entire economies Global electric car market poised
on the path to net zero. Governments have the power to for strong growth
unlock these broad-based benefits”, he added.
The global auto industry suffered a punishing year
The gap between today’s investment trends and the in 2020 because of the major shock of COVID-19,
needs of climate-driven scenarios is particularly large but the electric car market is on track for strong
in emerging market and developing economies. This is expansion, according to a new report published
emerging as a critical fault line in clean energy transitions recently by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
in advance of the crucial COP26 meeting in Glasgow later The IEA’s Global Electric Vehicle Outlook 2021 finds
this year, and is the subject of a major new report from that despite the pandemic, 3 million new electric
IEA on Financing Clean Energy Transitions in Emerging cars were registered in 2020 - a 41% increase from
Market and Developing Economies. the previous year. Further, the sales of electric
cars, in the first quarter of 2021, reached nearly
As spending rebounds towards pre-crisis levels, not two and half times their level in the same period a
enough is going into clean energy, especially in emerging year earlier. In comparison, the global automobile
market and developing economies, the new IEA report market contracted 16% in 2020.
finds.
iSWITCH ENERGY TO ENTER EV CHARGING MARKET

Singapore’s largest green electricity retailer, I a government initiative, iSwitch is well placed
Switch Pte Ltd (iSwitch Energy) has signed an to contribute to this movement by deploying
agreement with leading Finnish technology thousands of units across its existing electricity
company, PlugIT, to acquire 12 electric vehicle retail portfolio of high-quality condominiums and
charging stations in Singapore, from PlugIT. commercial sites.
This signals iSwitch’s entry into the growing local “Convenience, Value and Customer Service
electric vehicle (EV) charging market. have been major cornerstones of iSwitch’s
success. iSwitch plans to offer the use of these
Under the terms of the deal, iSwitch will take
charging stations to both iSwitch and non iSwitch
ownership of up to 12 existing charging stations,
customers. Existing iSwitch retail customers will
as well as offer EV charger installation services
receive bonus loyalty points, redeemable against
to its existing portfolio of over 50 MCSTs, 10
their monthly electricity bill, resulting in a lower
shopping centres, 600 car parks, and 8,000
charging cost”, Mr Koscharsky added.
landed residential properties.
As Singapore moves towards a more sustainable
iSwitch intends to further cement its green
and self-sufficient future, iSwitch is also evolving
identity by committing to offset 100% of all
its business and partnering with key stakeholders
electricity used for charging, by purchasing
to provide more green energy solutions for local
United Nations Verified Carbon Units, which
consumers. This EV charging initiative is expected
would result in a carbon neutral charge for ‘Scope
to broaden iSwitch’s existing suite of sustainable
2’ emissions. This refers to carbon emissions
solutions such as carbon neutral green electricity,
released into the atmosphere as a result of the
home batteries and solar panel installation.
electricity generated which is used to charge the
electric vehicle.
Andrew Koscharsky, Chief Commercial Officer
iSwitch
of iSwitch, said, “Inspired by the Singapore iSwitch is a licensed electricity retailer in
Government’s recently announced sustainability Singapore that currently serves more than
targets, we have decided that the timing is right 6,000 commercial accounts and over 105,000
for us to enter a new and exciting phase. To residential customers. The company’s
complement our existing green energy products, experienced team of over 60 employees are all
we will now offer new sustainability products to based in Singapore, ensuring a high-quality and
our 100,000 existing customers and across the local touchpoint. iSwitch was the first electricity
entire Singapore energy market”. retailer to offer 100% carbon neutral electricity
to both commercial and residential customers.
With 60,000 charging points expected to be Since April 2016, iSwitch has helped offset over
installed across the island by 2030, as part of 165,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2).

June 2021
INDUSTRY NEWS
ENGIE AND JTC SIGN AGREEMENT ON AN UNDERGROUND
DISTRICT COOLING SYSTEM

ENGIE South East Asia, a global leader in driving
sustainable energy innovation, announced recently that
it has been appointed by JTC Corporation (JTC) to build,
own and operate an underground District Cooling System
(DCS) for the Punggol Digital District (PDD), Singapore’s
first smart business district that integrates a national
university, business park and community facilities.
The agreement was signed by Thomas Baudlot, CEO of
ENGIE South East Asia and Tan Boon Khai, CEO of JTC.
Under the Design, Build, Own and Operate (DBOO)
agreement, ENGIE will develop and construct the DCS
plant which will have a cooling capacity of close to
30,000 refrigeration-tons.
Expected to be completed in 2024, the underground
plant will be operated by ENGIE for a period of 30
years. The district cooling facility will provide air Rendering of Punggol Digital District. Image: JTC.
conditioning in a reliable, sustainable and cost-effective
way to the business park, community, retail outlets, and
transportation nodes, within the district. It optimises
resources, land use and operational efficiency, by
allowing individual buildings to avoid operating and
maintaining their own air conditioning systems.
“As a global developer and operator of more than
400 district energy schemes worldwide, ENGIE is
proud to partner with JTC to build a world-class smart
district cooling system that contributes to Singapore’s
sustainability agenda. Increasingly, district cooling
solutions will play a critical and essential role to help
Southeast Asia meet its cooling needs while achieving its
sustainability goals. The development and construction
of the plant is right at the heart of ENGIE’s vision to At the signing ceremony are, from left, Thomas Baudlot, CEO, ENGIE
enable businesses, partners and governments to make South East Asia and Tan Boon Khai, CEO, JTC Corporation.
the shift towards carbon-neutrality”, said Thomas
Baudlot, Chief Executive Officer, ENGIE South East Asia. district, including the district cooling system. This will
With a 4 km centralised piping network connected to allow us to track energy consumption patterns, as well as
customers in the district, the plant is expected to reduce optimise energy distribution and cost-efficiencies across
3,700 tons of CO2 emissions per year at full development the entire district. This is an exciting partnership with
and achieve up to 30% reduction of energy consumption ENGIE, and we welcome more players to join us”, said
compared to standard commercial buildings. The design David Tan, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Development
phase contract, awarded to ENGIE in 2019, also received Group, JTC.
the Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) Green In line with Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA)
Mark Platinum Award. urban transformation master plan to optimise land
Beyond a reduction in carbon emission, the DCS use, key infrastructure for the district cooling system
contributes to PDD’s vision of not just being a sustainable will be laid below ground. By implementing district
mixed-use district, but also being a smart one. The cooling, more spaces above-ground can be used for
system will be integrated into PDD’s Open Digital green parks and social amenities, and development
Platform where monitoring and machine learning of of renewable energy such as rooftop solar panels.
building usage patterns will be carried out. Moreover, ENGIE will leverage construction innovations
such as mechanical pipe couplings for a more efficient
“Technology is a key driver in advancing sustainability at and environment-friendly installation, which align with
Singapore’s first smart business district. The Open Digital the nation’s push to promote the adoption of sustainable
Platform at PDD integrates various systems across the construction materials and practices.

June 2021
INDUSTRY NEWS
DRIVING NET ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSITION

IN ASIAN ELECTRIC UTILITIES
A new programme, backed by 13 institutional investors Co (Japan), Electric Power Development Co (J-POWER)
and stewardship service providers, responsible for USD (Japan) and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (Malaysia). Focus
8.8 trillion in assets under management or advice, has companies have been chosen because they produce
been launched to engage Asia’s systemically important substantial greenhouse gas emissions, have large coal-
electric utilities on cutting emissions, strengthening fired power capacity or have a strategic role in driving
disclosure and improving governance of climate-related the net zero emissions transition. Investors commit to
risks. The new programme is coordinated by the Asia engaging with at least one focus company during each
Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC) and will year of the initiative as part of a collaborative group.
complement and run in parallel with the global Climate The common agenda for discussion with companies
Action 100+ initiative. includes strengthening the board’s accountability of
Working through the programme, investors will climate risk, action to reduce emissions across the value
collaboratively engage with five utility companies. chain (including coal phase-out consistent with the Paris
Companies that are the focus of the programme in Agreement goals), enhancing disclosure, identifying
its first year include China Resources Power Holdings physical risks and ensuring companies are supporting
(China), CLP Holdings (Hong Kong), Chubu Electric Power policy in line with achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

June 2021
INDUSTRY NEWS
PUB APPOINTS SP SERVICES TO INSTALL SINGAPORE’S
FIRST 300,000 SMART WATER METERS

PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, has appointed The smart water meters are also pivotal in enabling PUB
SP Group's subsidiary, SP Services Limited (SP), to install to achieve greater operational efficiencies. With the daily
some 300,000 smart water meters in Singapore, from water usage data, PUB will be able to optimise water
early next year. This marks the rollout of the first phase production and network management by understanding
of the Smart Water Meter Programme, a key initiative water demand patterns at different times of the day
under the Smart PUB Roadmap which aims to transform across various zones.
the organisation into a smart utility of the future.
The data collected can also be used to quickly detect and
This appointment follows an open tender exercise which locate potential leaks within the water supply network.
attracted seven local and foreign tenderers. SP was
“The Smart Water Meter Programme is an important
selected as the company has a strong track record and
pillar in PUB’s Smart Roadmap, which outlines our vision
the necessary technical resource capability to undertake
to digitalise Singapore's entire water system. With access
this project, and its network solutions provider, Itron,
to near real-time monitoring and data across the water
has the necessary experience, having deployed close to
network, this allows us to transform our operations and
800,000 smart water meters overseas, in places such as
planning to meet Singapore’s water needs”, said Ridzuan
Baltimore and Cleveland, in the US.
Ismail, Director of Water Supply (Network), PUB.
SP will be responsible for the supply and installation
“With increasing water demand and challenges posed
of the 300,000 smart meters, provision of the wireless
by climate change on our water resources, we are also
communications network, developing the supporting IT
constantly challenged to find more efficient ways to
systems, and providing operations and maintenance for
supply water and conserve water, in order to safeguard
15 years.
Singapore's water security. Smart water meters that can
The first phase of the Smart Water Meter Programme provide near real-time water use information will help to
will be rolled out at Bukit Batok, Hougang, Jurong West, change consumer behaviour, and can give a major push
Tampines and Tuas, as well as in the new housing estates of to our water conservation efforts”, he added.
Tampines North and Tengah. Meter installation is expected
PUB will review the first phase rollout, build up its
to start in early 2022 and be completed in 2023.
capabilities and expertise, and take into account
In selecting these locations, PUB had considered a advances in technology before implementing smart
range of factors including property mix, efficiency of water meters for the rest of Singapore.
deployment and the need to replace older conventional
water meters. The meters will be installed as part of
PUB's meter replacement programme at no cost to
customers. Customers will receive notification letters SP partners Goldbell
from PUB prior to the installation.
SP Group (SP) and Goldbell Group (Goldbell)
recently announced an agreement under which SP
Empowering a generation of ‘water smart’ customers will provide holistic electric vehicle (EV) charging
With smart water meters, meter readings will be solutions to Goldbell’s commercial fleet customers.
transmitted digitally and automatically, every day, to Goldbell is Singapore’s largest commercial vehicle
PUB. This removes the need for manual reads, currently leasing company, serving more than 10,000
carried out once every two months, as they are labour- commercial fleet customers to-date,with over
intensive. Customers can view and track their daily water 5,000 vehicles in its fleet.
consumption through a customer portal paired with the
water meter. This empowers them to become smarter The agreement includes making SP’s nationwide
users of water, saving water and money in the process. EV charging network available to Goldbell’s
customers and installing EV charging infrastructure
Through the portal, users can also receive alerts about on customers’ premises where feasible, to support
suspected leaks and high water usage in their household their electrification roadmap. SP’s charging points
or premises. This will allow them to take prompt action will similarly be extended to BlueSG users once
to fix the leaks and reduce water wastage. the acquisition of BlueSG vehicles by Goldbell is
PUB's earlier trials of the smart water meters at Punggol completed.
and Yuhua, revealed that about 10% of the 800 households SP and Goldbell will also explore a strategic
experienced leaks, which mostly occurred at the water partnership for the leasing of commercial electric
cisterns. Such leaks often go unnoticed until the customers vehicles.
receive a higher-than-usual water bill at the end of the month.

June 2021
INDUSTRY NEWS
SP GROUP AWARDED BCA GRANT

TO POWER NEXT-GEN GREEN BUILDINGS
The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has awarded Sharing of building energy data in SLEB Smart Hub
a grant to SP Group (SP) under the Green Buildings SP will work together with BCA to incorporate Green
Innovation Cluster (GBIC) Programme, to develop and Mark data reporting functions into the digital solutions
implement technologies and digital solutions to push the to facilitate the sharing of information between buildings
limits of buildings’ energy efficiency standards. The GBIC and BCA’s SLEB Smart Hub.
programme is one of the enablers of the Singapore Green
Building Masterplan, which in turn supports the Singapore The Super Low Energy Building Smart Hub (SLEB Smart
Hub) is Singapore’s first digital knowledge centre for
Green Plan 2030.
green buildings, feature-filled with smart analytic tools,
datasets, a directory and the largest green building
Equipping building operators with smart tools to database in Singapore.
be energy-efficient
The SLEB Smart Hub will serve as an interface to receive,
Under GBIC funding, SP Group will pilot a dynamic online combine and analyse data from different resources and
digital portal and an artificial intelligence (AI) powered report the results to the BCA Green Mark certification
mobile application tool to provide real-time electricity system. This enables benchmarking of a building’s
and water usage insights to both occupants and building energy performance against other similar building types,
facilities managers. Through the portal, users can keep and piloting of green technologies including automatic
track of the building’s aggregated water and electricity energy data reporting for data analytics.
consumption, and the resulting carbon emissions, to
enable them to proactively identify ways to reduce their Building owners are required to report their energy data
to BCA for green building projects funded under the
carbon footprint and utilities usage. The portal will come
Green Buildings Innovation Cluster (GBIC) programme.
with advanced data analytics to assist building operators
to plan and achieve more efficient building management Mr Stanley Huang, Group Chief Executive Officer of SP,
by providing actionable recommendations on saving said, “Decarbonisation is a collective effort and we are
energy and an AI-enabled anomaly detection function to at the forefront of enabling this paradigm shift through
prevent energy wastage. our strengths in integrated smart energy solutions.
Leveraging digitisation and big data analyses, we can
enable all building stakeholders to drive positive change
Empowering building occupants to make sustain-
at scale. With the support of BCA and building operators,
able choices we will develop user-centric solutions to advance next-
Building occupants will also be equipped with an ‘At gen green, energy-efficient buildings, and create green
work’ function of the SP Utilities App to encourage communities that will accelerate a carbon-neutral future
them to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle. The new for Singapore”.
function aims to enhance occupants’ sustainability
Mr Kelvin Wong, Chief Executive of BCA, said, “The
experience by providing them personalised energy Green Buildings Innovation Cluster or GBIC Programme
data to build awareness and better understand their has been a cornerstone in furthering the deployment of
building’s consumption performance. Occupants innovation and technology in improving energy efficiency
will also be encouraged to adopt green behaviour of buildings in Singapore. With active partnership
through gamification such as quizzes and energy-saving with the industry, GBIC will be an enabler in meeting
challenges between occupants, reminders, rewards and one of the outcomes of the Singapore Green Building
tips on saving energy. Masterplan, which is to achieve an 80% improvement
in energy efficiency for best-in-class green buildings by
Pilot of digital solutions with NUS 2030. SP Group’s work in developing smart technologies
The National University of Singapore’s (NUS) University will help building operators and occupants to reduce
energy consumption. With buildings accounting for over
Town (UTown) will be the first development to have
20% of Singapore’s emissions, BCA welcomes like-minded
these digital solutions implemented under this
firms to partner us to reduce the carbon footprint of the
programme. The solutions will be piloted at two Built Environment, working towards our collective goal of
buildings at UTown - the Education Resource Centre a more sustainable and liveable Singapore”.
and the Stephen Riady Centre - and will be installed
in the first half of 2022. Both buildings include various The BCA Green Building Innovation Cluster aims
categories of spaces, such as offices, teaching rooms, to help push the boundaries of buildings’ energy
sports facilities and commercial spaces. This will allow SP efficiency standards under the Singapore Green Building
and BCA to test the solutions in a variety of areas. Masterplan.

June 2021
INDUSTRY NEWS
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION OFFERS

NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES IN ASIA-PACIFIC
To help companies innovate faster and improve because companies do not know what steps to take or
efficiencies during the age of digitalisation, Rockwell where to start. Using the knowledge and experience
Automation is evolving its service and solutions within LifecycleIQ Services, companies can strategically
capabilities and launching a new brand - LifecycleIQ plan, implement and scale their digital initiatives.
Services. Rockwell Automation is a global leader in
industrial automation and digital transformation. Support can begin with defining strategic objectives,
identifying use cases and quantifying business
The new brand represents the expanding ways in which value. Rockwell Automation can then continue to
customers can engage with Rockwell Automation support customers through implementation, ongoing
technology and highly trained professionals to improve maintenance and continuous innovation.
their performance and reimagine what is possible
across their industrial value chain. Reducing risk with comprehensive cybersecurity
support
LifecycleIQ Services provides the transformative Cybersecurity is a top priority today, but few companies
partnership that customers need and expect today. By have specialists with both information and operations
combining digital technologies with expansive human technology (IT/OT) security knowledge. Rockwell
know-how, the services help companies work faster, Automation is adequately equipped to address
smarter and with greater agility at every point in their complex security challenges in IT/OT environments.
business cycle. The services can help companies realise The company understands the OT environment and
the power of a Connected Enterprise during the design, how it interfaces with IT and follows industry security
operations, and maintenance stages in greenfield and standards.
brownfield facilities.
LifecycleIQ Services can help companies adopt a
“LifecycleIQ Services creates a more intimate customer proactive cybersecurity approach and address the
engagement model, one that can help companies not entire attack continuum - before, during and after an
only solve problems, but also see new possibilities in event. Also, as more companies connect their plants to
production and transform them into reality. We are remote workers and partners like original equipment
investing in providing a wide range of holistic services manufacturers (OEMs), Rockwell Automation can help
to help companies be more productive, safe and secure protect those connections with secure remote access
anywhere in a product, process or plant lifecycle”, said and security posture assessment services.
Frank Kulaszewicz, Senior Vice President, Lifecycle
Services at Rockwell Automation Improving workforce support
Companies need new ways to support their workforces
“One challenge faced by many industrial players in Asia- as they contend with global health challenges and skills
Pacific is how to adopt smart manufacturing technology shortages brought on by the retirement of trained
quickly whilst seamlessly integrating legacy equipment workers and an influx of new technologies. They also
and machinery. LifeCycleIQ Services helps to address need workforce support as they seek to make the most
this unmet need holistically, enabling enterprises to of IIoT technologies.
be future-ready by incorporating agility and flexibility
in both infrastructure and processes”, said Inbavanan LifecycleIQ Services can help companies address their
Rathinam, Senior Director, Solutions & Services, Asia- unique workforce challenges and gaps by assessing
Pacific at Rockwell Automation. needs, identifying priorities and creating workforce
development programmes. Rockwell Automation also
“Driving efficiencies also continues to be increasingly uses remote support capabilities and augmented reality
important to businesses across every sector in technologies to help companies interact virtually with
the region, with growing attention on sustainable support engineers and strengthen skills with virtual
operations. LifeCycleIQ Services enables our customers training, and to provide safety and security services
to better plan and service every aspect of the plant, without sending people into plants.
from design to safe operations, enabling reduced
energy usage, minimised wastage and maximised To improve customer experiences, LifecycleIQ Services
output”, he added. is also introducing a new way to receive multiple
services in one contract. An Integrated Service
Industrial companies can use LifecycleIQ Services to Agreement allows companies to select a package of
achieve outcomes like the following: offerings to simplify their support needs and have
Capturing more value from digital transformation just one number to call to access experts and receive
initiatives priority service. Companies can get 24x7 technical
Digital initiatives can struggle to get off the ground support and repair services.

June 2021
INDUSTRY NEWS
JJ-LAPP PARTNERS WITH CLENERGY TO MAKE
SOLAR ENERGY ACCESSIBLE IN ASEAN

JJ-LAPP, the cable technology joint-venture of diversified We already see a global shift in investment towards
industrial conglomerate, Jebsen and Jessen Group, and renewables, particularly with solar power in Asia, and
LAPP Holding Asia, has expanded its partnership with we hope this promotes industry participation in green
Clenergy, a globally renowned solar mounting gear technology”, Mr Hng said.
provider, for the distribution of Clenergy’s products in
countries across Southeast Asia. Daniel Hong, Chief Executive Officer, Clenergy, said, “We
are excited to be partnering with a leading brand like
The partnership will enable engineering, construction, JJ-LAPP. With their network, we aim to bring the latest
and procurement companies in ASEAN, including technology in the sector to local projects in the ASEAN
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, region. This partnership will strengthen the solar industry
and the Philippines, to access Clenergy’s entire offerings in the region and enable the industry players
portfolio of products through JJ-LAPP’s extensive to benefit from the quality and technical superiority that
regional network. we have to offer”.
Electricity demand in Southeast Asia is projected to With the cost of generating renewable energy rapidly
grow at a rapid rate. To meet the growing electricity declining, ASEAN countries have an opportunity to
consumption and, at the same time, achieve ASEAN’s shift towards more sustainable business practices.
target to secure 23% of primary energy from modern, Malaysia is already the world’s third-largest producer of
sustainable and renewable sources, by 2025, Southeast photovoltaic (PV) cells, while investment in Thailand’s
Asian countries are substantially scaling up their solar manufacturing industry contributes to the PV
deployment of renewables in the energy sector. output for global markets. Singapore is also focusing on
This has resulted in the Southeast Asian region solar PV deployment as a sustainable energy source,
becoming one of the fastest growing solar energy and is expected to add 1.2 GW of new power capacity,
markets, with the share of renewables in the region’s generated between now and 2030.
primary energy mix predicted to rise to 37%, by 2040. Partnerships like that between JJ-LAPP and Clenergy will
The partnership between JJ-LAPP and Clenergy comes encourage more companies to go green by offering one-
at a time when the industry’s confidence in investing stop easy access to products and solutions relating to
in renewables is growing due to the region’s rising renewable energy.
population, economic growth and renewable energy
capacity development.
JJ-LAPP
“The synergy of Clenergy’s long-standing experience in JJ-LAPP was founded as a joint-venture between
the solar energy space, backed by the strength of our Jebsen & Jessen and LAPP Holding Asia, a subsidiary
network and reach within ASEAN, will make sustainable of LAPP Group in Germany, to become a leading
energy practices more accessible and drive the industry cable and connectivity solutions provider in ASEAN.
forward. This is an exciting time for us as we continue to Customers are benefitted by localising German
pursue growth opportunities while developing the solid innovation and manufacturing the high-quality
foundation that we have built throughout the region”, products in Indonesia, and complementing this with
said John Hng, Regional Head of Business Development a suite of products sourced from world-renowned
at JJ-LAPP. brands.
Mr Hng added that working with Clenergy will augment Across ASEAN, JJ-LAPP has served the building automation,
JJ-LAPP’s existing offering of products and solutions for industrial automation, renewable energy, OEM and
the renewable energy sector including solar industries, transportation sectors, with cable and connectivity
enabling them to offer customers a one-stop solution for solutions, since 1980.
all of their product needs.
Clenergy’s range of solar mounting gear, from its Clenergy
SolarRoof, Ground, Water, and Elevate series, will Clenergy is a high-tech, Sino-Australian enterprise in
complement JJ-LAPP’s current suite of offerings such as the global solar PV industry. The company specialises
the LAPP solar cables and connectors, Trina solar panels in the development, manufacturing and engineering
and Huawei solar inverters, to meet the growing demand
of solar mounting gear for renewable energy sites.
for renewable energy in the region.
With its genesis in Australia and footprints across the
“The use of renewable energy has not just proven to be world, Clenergy has grown from being a boutique solar
beneficial to the environment but has also been seen as solutions provider into a well-known renewable energy
a driving factor in aiding the economy’s development. company.

June 2021
INDUSTRY NEWS
BENTLEY SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES

THE ACQUISITION OF SPIDA SOFTWARE
Bentley Systems Inc, the infrastructure engineering Senior Vice President, Asset and Network Performance,
software company, recently announced the acquisition of Bentley Systems.
SPIDA Software, developers of specialised software for the
“We are very pleased to welcome our new SPIDA
design, analysis, and management of utility pole systems.
colleagues to Bentley Systems and to OpenUtilities, and
Founded in 2007 in Columbus, Ohio, USA, SPIDA offers we look forward to further integrating and globalising
modelling, simulation, and data management software SPIDA software, already known as the trusted stalwart
solutions to electric and communications utilities, and their for energy distribution engineers in their essential work
engineering services providers, in the US and Canada. to improve grid performance and resilience”, he added.
The integration of SPIDA within Bentley’s OpenUtilities Brett Willitt, President of SPIDA Software, said, “Our
engineering software and grid digital twin cloud services vision with SPIDA has always been to provide a complete
will help address the challenges of transitioning to new and open solution for maintaining and improving
renewable energy sources including for electric vehicle the health and integrity of our users’ power and
charging, for joint usage of utility poles to support communication overhead infrastructure assets. Within
broadband networks’ 5G expansion, and for modernising the Bentley team, we look forward to accelerating
and hardening the electric grid to maintain reliability and grid digital twin solutions, which leverage our industry
resilience. domain experience and incorporate SPIDA structural
Grid digital twins can provide utilities with immersive analyses. Existing and future SPIDA users can look
and engineering-accurate geospatial representations of forward with confidence to leveraging grid digital twins
their transmission and distribution assets, combining as they upgrade, modify, expand, and manage their
intelligent network and structural analysis with overhead systems”.
as-operated 3D and 4D physical reality. Bentley’s
OpenUtilities grid digital twin solutions enable operators
and power producers to evaluate grid trade-offs and
opportunities, now spanning traditional and renewable
sources and energy storage, as they provision services
to meet demand. Digital twins advance asset health
management by converging IT, OT, and ET (engineering
modelling and simulations) to leverage infrastructure IoT
data sources and predictive analytics for improved safety,
performance and reliability.
With the incorporation of SPIDA, the reach of grid digital
twins can now extend to the utility pole networks and
structures, which deliver the environmentally vulnerable
‘last mile’ of critical infrastructure for vital energy and
communications.
Leading electric utilities including Ameren, EPCOR, Nashville
Electric Service (NES), and Southern California Edison (SCE),
engineer the effectiveness and resilience of their overhead
systems by applying SPIDA’s software. SPIDA’s utility pole SPIDA digital twin
solutions include SPIDAcalc for capturing, modelling,
and optimising overhead transmission and distribution
assets for structural loading; SPIDAsilk to analyse cable sag
and tension design for physical and ambient properties
for precise wire tension and conductor installation; and
SPIDAstudio, a cloud-based platform that centrally tracks
and manages the asset health and physical condition of
overhead systems.
“As the rapid expansion of renewable energy sources and
greater demand created by electric vehicles increasingly
stress our grid infrastructure, and for 5G-enabled
broadband rollout, grids’ utility poles are ‘priceless’ for
sustainably advancing infrastructure”, said Alan Kiraly, SPIDACalc utiity and communications asset analysis and management

June 2021
EVENTS
LEADING TRADE FAIR FOR DEBURRING TECHNOLOGY
AND PRECISION SURFACE FINISHING

Preparations are ongoing to stage DeburringEXPO 2021 vice versa) will provide information concerning solutions
as a live event at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Centre, to current problems covering all exhibition segments. The
Germany, from 12 to 14 October 2021. The booking status trade fair programme is thus enhanced with the quality of
promises a successful 4th Leading Trade Fair for Deburring a further training event which enables visitors to expand
Technology and Precision Surface Finishing, where their know-how in the fields of deburring, rounding and
exhibitors and visitors will once again be able to exchange the production of precision surface finishes, as well as
ideas at face-to-face meetings. Emphasis will be focused component cleaning. Beyond this, examples based on
on solutions and information which enable companies to actual practice and benchmark solutions provide ideas
effectively and efficiently fulfil stricter as well as changing and stimulation for the optimisation of processes.
requirements for deburring and surface finishing quality.
In Germany, investments are picking up again in industrial Collaboration with GrindTec
sectors such as automotive engineering, mechanical Thanks to the new collaboration between fairXperts and
engineering, electronics, medical and pharmaceutical AFAG, promoters of GrindTec, the exhibition portfolio at
technology, tool and mould making, metalworking and DeburringEXPO 2021 will be extended for the first time,
processing, aerospace, and environmental and energy to cover the issue of ‘grinding technology’ at a collective
technology. booth.
More information may be obtained from
Adaptive solutions for changing requirements www.deburring-expo.de.
Attention is being focused on solutions with which
companies can meet stricter, as well as new requirements
for deburring and surface finishing quality.
“Amongst other factors, this requirement arises from
stricter specifications for products and their surface
finishing, for example due to downstream processes
such as joining, coating, sealing and assembly.
Changing production technologies and materials, such
as workpieces made of material combinations, also
necessitate optimised solutions for deburring, rounding
and the production of precision surface finishes, as well
as the cleaning of components after these processing
steps”, said Hartmut Herdin, Managing Director of
fairXperts GmbH & Co KG, organisers of DeburringEXPO.
The increasing use of additive manufacturing (AM) in Innovative solutions in automation technology make it possible to use
series production is also impacting surface finishing conventional processes such as barrel finishing for new applications in
processes. The removal of residual powder and automated single-part processing. Image: Rösler Oberflächentechnik.
supporting structures, as well as the rough and porous
surfaces of additively manufactured components, are
challenging. Further increases in efficiency by means of
process optimisation, automation and digitalisation are
presenting companies with additional challenges.
The exhibitors at the 4th leading trade fair for deburring
technology and precision surface finishing will showcase
appropriate solutions for these tasks. The broad-based
offerings will be rounded out with theme parks for
‘Automated Deburring with Industrial Robots’, ‘AM Parts
Finishing’ and ‘Cleaning After Deburring’.
The expert forum

The integrated three-day expert forum is an established
supplement to the exhibition programme at DeburringEXPO, Stricter demands on surface quality necessitate new automated
for the promotion of knowledge transfer. Simultaneously solutions by means of which deburring results can be achieved in a
interpreted presentations (from German to English and reproducible and economical manner. Image: Kempf.

June 2021
COVER STORY
SEMBCORP INDUSTRIES UNVEILS

BOLD CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
The group is committed to the target of net-zero emissions by 2050.
Woodchip boiler plant in Singapore.
Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp) recently unveiled its

strategic plan to transform its portfolio from brown to
green, with growth driven by its renewables and inte-
grated urban solutions businesses.
In order to support the global energy transition and
sustainable development, Sembcorp aims to grow profit
contribution from its sustainable solutions portfolio from
a current 40% to 70% by 2025. By 2025, its renewable
energy portfolio is targeted to achieve a compounded Wind power generation in China.
annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% and its integrated
urban solutions portfolio a CAGR of 10%. Central to the
group’s strategy is also its commitment to bold climate
action to halve its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by
2030 and deliver net-zero emissions by 2050.
A LEADING PROVIDER OF SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

Sembcorp’s vision is to be a leading provider of sustainable
solutions. By focusing on growing its renewable energy and
integrated urban solutions businesses, the group’s transfor-
mation plan is underpinned by clear targets.
More sustainable
Solar installation in India.
By 2025, Sembcorp aims for its sustainable solutions portfo-
lio to comprise 70% of the group’s net profit. In 2020, its
sustainable solutions portfolio contributed around 40% Sembcorp has a proven track record across Asia in various segments of
of the group’s net profit. the renewables sector.

June 2021
COVER STORY
More renewables SEMBCORP INDUSTRIES

By 2025, Sembcorp aims to quadruple its gross installed Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp) is a leading energy and
renewable energy capacity to 10 GW. In 2020, its gross urban solutions provider.
installed renewable energy capacity (comprising wind,
solar and energy storage) was 2.6 GW. Headquartered in Singapore, Sembcorp leverages its sec-
tor expertise and global track record to deliver innovative
More sustainable urban developments solutions that support energy transition and sustainable
By 2025, Sembcorp aims to triple its urban business’ land development. By focusing on growing its renewables
sales to 500 hectares. In 2020, land sales amounted to and integrated urban solutions businesses, it aims to
172 hectares. transform its portfolio towards a greener future and be a
Lower carbon emissions leading provider of sustainable solutions.
By 2025, Sembcorp aims to reduce its GHG intensity to Sembcorp has a balanced energy portfolio of over 12,800 MW,
0.40 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent per MW with more than 3,300 MW of renewable energy capacity
hour (tCO2e/MWh) from 0.54 tCO2e/MWh in 2020. In comprising solar, wind and energy storage globally. The
addition, the company aims to halve GHG emissions by company also has a proven track record of transforming
2030 (from a 2010 baseline of 5.4 million tCO2e) and de- raw land into sustainable urban developments, with a proj-
liver net-zero emissions by 2050. Sembcorp also commits ect portfolio spanning over 12,000 hectares across Asia.
to not investing in new coal-fired energy assets.
Sembcorp is listed on the main board of the Singapore
In line with its strategic plan, Sembcorp reaffirmed its Exchange.
commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). Its focus will be SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean
Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action) where it aims to All images by Sembcorp Industries
make meaningful contributions.
SEMBCORP GROWS RENEWABLE ENERGY PORTFOLIO

In March this year, Sembcorp announced new solar For the new project awarded by HDB, Sembcorp
project awards totalling 82 megawatt-peak (MWp). will build, own, operate and maintain grid-tied
Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sembcorp rooftop solar systems with a total capacity of 60
Solar Singapore (Sembcorp Solar), the group was MWp across 1,154 HDB blocks and 46 government
awarded a 60 MWp solar energy project by the sites in Singapore. The project will generate enough
Housing & Development Board (HDB) and the energy to power about 16,000 four-room HDB
Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). flats for a year and offset about 32 kilotonnes of
carbon emissions annually - equivalent to taking
Since January 2021, the company also won other approximately 7,000 cars off the roads.
commercial solar deals totalling 22.3 MWp. This
includes a SolarRoof Phase 2 project awarded by JTC This project is part of the SolarNova programme, a
Corporation (JTC) to build a 17.4 MWp solar system Whole-of-Government effort led by HDB and EDB
on the rooftops of 48 JTC buildings, targeted for to accelerate the deployment of solar photovoltaic
completion in the fourth quarter of this year. The systems in Singapore, under the programme’s new
capacity indicated is based on what the completed capacity target of 540 MWp on HDB blocks by 2030.
solar energy system is expected to achieve. This is Sembcorp’s second SolarNova tender win,
with the first being in 2018. Currently, it operates
With these awards, Sembcorp’s portfolio in Singapore solar energy systems across 618 HDB blocks and 26
grew to 362.3 MWp of solar power capacity in government sites.
operation and under development. The capacity
indicated is equivalent to 302 MW. To support the construction of these announced
projects, Sembcorp estimates the addition of more
Sembcorp is now the nation’s leading solar energy than 400 jobs for Singapore’s solar sector. The
provider, managing a full spectrum of solar company has also recently signed a Memorandum of
capabilities across rooftop, ground-mounted and Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Technical
floating solar projects. Education (ITE) to collaborate on skills development
Together with PUB, Singapore’s National Water and capability building to grow a trained workforce
in solar energy and environmental solutions.
Agency, it is currently developing the 60 MWp
floating solar photovoltaic system on Tengeh Sembcorp now has over 3,300 MW of renewable
Reservoir, which will be one of the world’s largest energy capacity in operation and under development,
inland floating solar systems when completed in July comprising solar, wind and energy storage, in China,
this year. India, Singapore, the UK and Vietnam.

June 2021
MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
A HOME-GROWN SPECIALIST IN
COOLING TOWER TECHNOLOGIES

The company won an Enterprise 50 Award for 2020.
Stolz Engineering Pte Ltd (MNCs) for about 10 years, in the design, operation and
(Stolz Engineering) was sales of cooling systems.
honoured as one of winners
of the Enterprise 50 Awards CHALLENGING START
(E50 Award) for 2020, in
recognition of the company’s Soon after its establishment, Stolz Engineering had to
enterprising spirit. face the effects of the global financial crisis of 2008,
which included the cancellation of projects. However,
Mr Mark Tan, Managing the company successfully overcame the obstacles, with
Director, Stolz Engineering, strategic decisions on streamlining the business and
and a former Council Member adapting it to the new realities.
of IES, believes that engineers Mr Mark Tan
make great entrepreneurs STEADY GROWTH
because they bring a skillset to the startups, that has
been developed over years of managing projects and Stolz Engineering has grown steadily over the years.
solving problems. The company is the official sole distributor, in Singapore,
Commenting on the award, he said, “The E50 Award of the well-known Marley cooling towers.
is a true testament of the years of hard work and Marley is part of SPX Cooling Technologies Inc, a
contributions from my team alongside the valuable leading global manufacturer of cooling towers and
collaboration with our clients and partners, and without air-cooled condensers, providing full-service cooling
which Stolz would not have been able to achieve this solutions to, and supporting customers in, the
pivotal recognition”. power generation, petrochemical, manufacturing,
“A key company initiative, that has proven successful refrigeration, and HVAC markets, for more than 100
over the years, is the continuous training and years. In turn, SPX Cooling Technologies is part of
development of our dedicated team members. I am an SPX, a US-based global Fortune 500 multi-industry
advocate of providing equal opportunities and training manufacturing company.
platforms, because a well-equipped and skilled team Stolz Engineering has provided innovative cooling tower
will be a team that can manage projects confidently and solutions to iconic projects such as Gardens by the Bay,
smoothly to ensure client satisfaction”, Mr Tan added. Resorts World Sentosa and Singapore Sports Hub.
“At Stolz, we don’t control quality, we produce quality.
‘Stolz’ is the German word for ‘pride’ which underlines FUTURE DIRECTION
our attitude to work. We strive for pre-eminence in our The company has outlined a few key goals, going
work standards”, he continued. forward. They include the following:
The E50 Awards is jointly organised by The Business • Being at the forefront of research and development,
Times and KPMG in Singapore, and sponsored by OCBC in order to provide industries with innovative, superior
Bank. Supporters of the awards include Enterprise and cost-effective solutions.
Singapore, the Singapore Business Federation and • Continuing to stay ahead of the curve, by embracing
Singapore Exchange. the latest trends and cutting-edge technologies, whilst
being, at the same time, environmentally sustainable,
COMPANY HISTORY particularly in terms of water conservation and waste
Stolz Engineering specialises in cooling tower reduction.
technologies and equipment. The company is backed • Equipping the existing Stolz team with more special-
by an expert team of colleagues focused on delivering ised skills and training, so that they have the con-
high-performance products and services, ranging from fidence to carry out their work professionally and
standard factory-assembled systems to custom-made responsibly.
solutions for clients.
• Cultivating talent and giving back, by mentoring,
Stolz Engineering was founded in 2007 by Mr Tan who coaching and being a resource to budding entrepre-
had previously worked in multinational corporations neurs of the next generation.

June 2021
MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

June 2021
AN ATTRACTIVE PATHWAY TOWARDS
A PURPOSEFUL CAREER IN ENGINEERING

‘The Singapore Engineer’ speaks to Dr Victor Sim, on his career progression and
the benefits he has derived from becoming a Chartered Engineer in Singapore.
Dr Sim holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Applied Chemistry) degree with

1st Class Honours, from National University of Singapore, and a Doctor of
Philosophy (PhD) degree in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering,
from Nanyang Technological University. Dr Victor Sim
The Chartered Engineer accreditation scheme was initiated by IES.
The Singapore Engineer (TSE): Could you provide a few days, such as the Singapore Airshow which is held
highlights of your career to-date, including the awards every two years.
and commendations received?
As a recovery centre for quarantined workers, the
Dr Victor Sim (VS): It has been a gainful journey for amount of wastewater generated would be an issue, as
me, applying domain skill sets to real-life projects and it had to be disposed of, every day. A water treatment
excelling in areas to generate new intellectual property. facility had to be built onsite, in just a few months. With
the shortage of available workers, a quickly deployable,
For example, I was Surbana Jurong’s (SJ) Principal
plug-and-play solution was envisioned. Drawing on my
Investigator for the SGD 3.2 million R&D project on big
experience overseas, I found that this decentralised
data analytics, artificial intelligence and digitalisation,
solution presents a good economic opportunity in the
in the water sector, for both stormwater (flood)
‘new normal’.
management and plant process control.
Earlier, I had the great opportunity to work under
Both projects have resulted in minimal viable products
Professor Ng Wun Jern, the previous Executive
(MVPs) with commercial applications. It was not easy
Director of NEWRI (Nanyang Environment &
commercialising R&D on the fly, but correct expectations
Water Research Institute), who is a well-respected
were important to the overall success.
engineer. This was my first experience in a ‘pseudo
Strategically, the scope covered more of the management’ role. In a short span of time, I built up
development portion and utilised an engineering MECIA capabilities, after inheriting a non-engineering
mindset with an end in mind, and broke down various team, and honed my skills in supervision, project
parts to smaller pieces, whilst also maintaining strict management and coordination, that I had picked up
adherence to timelines. earlier in my postgraduate studies.
This engineering mindset was similar to the approach I also picked up a lot of soft skills when I was at NEWRI
I took when overseeing the IES Repositioning Exercise Community Development (NEWRIComm). Besides being
Consultant Study which was carried out during Phase 2 exposed to the various technical factors governing waste-
in 2020. to-biogas generation, fresh water treatment, wastewater
treatment and sanitation works, across ASEAN, Sri Lanka
On paper, I had created and delivered new revenue
and India, and becoming aware of the need to acquire
streams with these MVPs and have lifted SJ’s capabilities
pure domain knowledge to do this job well, it was also
and placed them, at least, on par with those of global
about exhibiting diplomacy at its best.
consultants in the areas I have worked on.
How does one gain respect, when there is an observable
Within the SJ Group, I have been consulted on matters
difference in knowledge, culture and societal
where my competencies in the area of water could be
development, and one has to balance monetary
applied.
and skill set transfers with financial sustainability,
For example, during the circuit breaker, last year, Changi whilst keeping in mind, at the same time, the specific
Exhibition Centre (CEC) was chosen to be one of the ethical, legal and regulatory requirements of overseas
multiple recovery centres for quarantining foreign projects?
workers.
In the functional role of Deputy Director, I assisted
The CEC was not built for extended periods of NEWRIComm to win multiple accolades, including
occupation, as it was used for exhibitions, each lasting the NTU Humanitarian Award 2018, and both the IES

June 2021
Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award and the allowed me via IES MRA to obtain other internationally
ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award, in recognised engineering accreditations that would not
2017, for an innovative community development project have been possible otherwise, since engineering is a
in Sri Lanka. protected profession overseas.
Subsequently, as the leader of a team that put forward The CEng accreditation is a skill set accreditation
a project to advance the UN Sustainable Development framework that allowed my competencies to be clearly
Goals through engineering, I was conferred the WFEO distinguished from those of my peers.
Young Engineer Award.
With the CEng, it was easier for me to progress
All these achievements would not have been possible professionally and career-wise.
if I had not acquired a sound foundation in engineering
TSE: What motivated you to become a Chartered
design. For this, I am grateful to PUB, Singapore’s
Engineer?
National Water Agency, and to an international
engineering firm which had employed me in its VS: As highlighted earlier, it is the ability to get my
Singapore office. competency recognised not just locally but regionally
and internationally, while continuously progressing
I was trained to address the design considerations and
towards a better standard of life for my family.
process options for producing drinking water at Choa
Chu Kang Waterworks and Woodleigh Waterworks. TSE: How do you think becoming a Chartered Engineer
I also supported the construction of Singapore’s third has assisted you in the progression of your career so
seawater desalination plant and the Kranji NEWater far?
Factory Expansion.
VS: It has become easier for me to progress, professionally
Specifically, I specialised in process option trade-offs and career-wise.
with disinfection criteria and formation of by-products,
equipment life cycle analysis and chemical systems. Also, there is now greater impetus towards recognising
These are all very valuable skill sets and project track the similarity between the Chartered Engineer (CEng)
records that enabled me to obtain my engineering and Professional Engineer (PE) competencies with,
accreditations. for example, the public sector procurement process
requiring either a PE or a CEng to be part of the key
TSE: What is the most meaningful career achievement manpower deployment.
for you so far, and why?
This is a good step in pushing the value of the CEng.
VS: Getting the Chartered Engineer (CEng) accreditation As the critical mass of engineers with the CEng
in Singapore! accreditation, increases, graduates in the many
engineering disciplines, that are not considered for
When I won the St Gallen Wings of Excellence Award
the Singapore PE accreditation, will have a proper
2013, for my essay ‘Courage - Ingrained by nature or
career development pathway, through the CEng
nurtured’, thereby qualifying as one of the ‘Leaders
recognition.
of Tomorrow’ for the St Gallen Symposium, I recall I
had just completed my postgraduate studies and was I view CEng as an IES-initiated career pathway for
looking around for a job that matched my domain engineers, with IES emphasising its role as the true voice
knowledge. of the engineering community. Right now, with the
entire framework being enlarged to include technicians
Selfishly, I stated that I was highly educated and had
and technologists as accredited engineers, multiple,
difficulty finding a job. It was like I was over-qualified and
‘illuminated’ pathways are opening up for a better future
my credentials did not seem to match what the industry
for engineers. Better late than never!
required.
As part of the repositioning exercise, ‘chartership’ has
I was reprimanded by an adviser of the local St Gallen
been identified as one of the four key pillars that IES
committee, who told me “nobody owes you a living”.
will be working on, over the next three to five years.
That shook me, as I had kind of ‘lost my way’ in my
The CEng accreditation will not only strengthen locally,
attempts to secure a better life for my family.
with increasing numbers of accredited engineers, it
I enjoy the pursuit of science and knowledge, but will also grow in terms of regional and international
I had difficulty understanding what the industry recognition.
wanted or recognised. There needs to be a
This will definitely help in the future, as long as one stays
commonly recognised standard to gauge one’s skill.
in this line, and I am very glad to be one of the early
While I excelled, and people knew it, I was lost as I
movers of this IES-initiated scheme.
did not have a common reference point that others
could also access, until I came across the CEng TSE: What advice would you give engineers who aspire
accreditation scheme. to obtain the Chartered Engineer accreditation?
As it turned out, my entire career path took off after I VS: Do
Thenot start
DDI fan to prepare only
is recommended for anywhen
facilityyou
thatare ready to
needs
got the CEng accreditation, as people now know I had significant
apply. air movement
Learn from in large as
my mistake, spaces.
I wasted the first few
fulfilled a certain engineering competency and CEng also years ‘appearing lost’.

June 2021
Find out more about the CEng accreditation, study how engineers must continuously upgrade and pursue
the application form, and start to oversee the type of professional development, it is necessary to recalibrate
activities that can get you the accreditation. Plan early after ‘the crisis of our generation’.
and work towards it. Be in-charge of your development.
While I have been looking forward to addressing the
This is the best advice I can give.
challenge of climate change, in the area of water as
Also, engineering is not just about hardcore skills. Soft the ‘new blue life sustaining oil’, especially the effects
skills are also very important to becoming a successful of both scarcity and overabundance, I have decided
engineer. The CEng accreditation covers them in a couple to pursue immediately the subject of ‘trust’ and
of important sections. ‘cybersecurity’, as this is an urgent need, with the world
slowly emerging from the pandemic and entering the
CEng accreditation is certainly a tried-and-tested pathway
‘post-COVID normal’ phase.
towards purposeful careers in engineering-related domains.
At the same time, I am very happy to continue contributing
TSE: How do you see the road ahead and your own
to the engineering community in volunteer positions
career path?
including as an IES CEng assessor, a member of the ESG
VS: The pandemic has shocked me personally, as I Start-Up Tech Evaluation Panel, and a member of the
saw how the areas I thought were innovative became ISO/Singapore Standards Water Re-use in Urban Areas
outdated within the last two to three years. Just like Mirror Committee.
THE CHARTERED ENGINEER ACCREDITATION SCHEME
The Chartered Engineer accreditation scheme was launched by IES in September 2013.
The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) launched the Chartered Engineer programme, during the Official
Opening of the inaugural World Engineers Summit, held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay
Sands, Singapore, in September 2013. The programme provides professional recognition to qualified engineers
across all sectors.
Aimed at engineers who are in fields that do not require them to be registered as Professional Engineers, the
Chartered Engineer title will be an external validation of their experience, expertise and practising competence,
and a quality mark to differentiate their professional standing in their respective engineering disciplines.
To qualify for the Chartered Engineer programme, engineers must possess a recognised engineering degree and
a minimum of four years of practical experience, maintain continuing professional development and comply
with the Chartered Engineers’ Code of Conduct.
Through the Chartered Engineer programme, IES, as the accreditation body, aims to raise engineering standards in
Singapore.

June 2021
DIGITALISATION
PUSHING PAST THE TIPPING POINT:

HOW SINGAPORE IS LEADING THE CHARGE IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES
by Kumail Rashid, EV Charging Solutions Lead, Asia Pacific, ABB

The technologies deployed highlight the economic, social and environmental gains possible.
Global take-up of electric vehicles needed peace of mind, accelerating the adoption of
(EVs) is on track to reach the tip- personal and commercial EVs in Singapore.
ping point of swift mass adoption,
with BloombergNEF predicting Finding new synergies between EVs and autono-
that more than half of new cars mous technology
sold in 2040 will be electric. The
Asia Pacific Region, in particular, The EV revolution has been developing in tandem with
will be a fascinating landscape to another critical shift in the automotive and transport
watch, with the region expected to sector - autonomous vehicles. With self-driving cars
Mr Kumail Rashid and robotaxis still in the nascent stages, we have a huge
see the highest EV growth.
opportunity to accelerate our transition to zero-emission
As the global race to electrify transport heats electric transport by electrifying autonomous vehicles
up, Singapore is charging ahead with its recent right from the start.
announcement of a SGD 30 million investment for EV-
related initiatives. Bolstered by supportive regulations Leading the way in electric autonomous vehicles,
and a bold vision for EVs, the city-state offers an ideal Singapore recently launched the world’s first, 12 m,
microcosm of the future of EVs and what the path fully electric autonomous bus - a collaboration by the
towards mainstream adoption will look like. Nanyang Technological University, the Land Transport
Authority, and Volvo Buses. Using ABB’s HVC 300P fast-
charging system, the 40-seater bus can be recharged
Unlocking consumer demand with fast-charging quickly in 3 minutes to 6 minutes, at the end of the line,
networks without impacting the normal operation of the route.
Consumer concerns still remain one of the most critical
With industrial emissions being one of the key polluters
barriers to EV adoption. According to a 2021 Deloitte
in Singapore and across the world, Singapore’s new
study, range anxiety (the fear that one’s EV will not
automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are another exciting
have enough charge to reach the destination) was one
development. Electric AGVs, powered by ABB’s smart-
of the top concerns for consumers in most countries.
charging ports, will be deployed at Singapore’s new
Fast-charging stations, which make a quick recharge en-
Tuas port facility which is expected to be the largest
route possible and convenient, will therefore be key to
in the world by 2040, with an annual capacity of 65
addressing such worries.
million containers. A stellar example of the merging of
To this end, Singapore is scaling up the deployment of autonomous technology and electric vehicle technology,
fast-charging stations island-wide, setting an ambitious this is a great stride towards the industrial application of
goal of 60,000 EV charging points by 2030. Some recent electric AVs.
initiatives include SP Group’s partnership with ABB to build
a target of 1,000 DC fast-charging stations across Singapore,
or the delivery of 50 kW Terra 54 DC fast-chargers at 10
Shell stations, which will allow consumers to charge their
vehicle’s battery from zero to 80% in around 30 minutes.
EV charging solutions have developed rapidly in the
past few years, going beyond mere battery charging to
offer a seamless and truly integrated transport solution.
Technology has enabled EV chargers to connect to back
offices, payment platforms and smart grid systems. To
further minimise downtime, some EV chargers also
include remote charger status monitoring, diagnostics, The ABB DC fast charging stations can recharge EV batteries in about 30
repair and over-the-air software updates. minutes, while offering convenience to users with an experience akin to a
This fast scaling up of infrastructure and technological fuel station. Over 100 EV charging points were deployed across Singapore
in 2020, creating the largest DC charging network in the country.
developments will be key in offering consumers a much Image by ABB.

June 2021
SPONSORED FEATURE
USING DIFFERENT SIGNAL PATHS

TO MAKE ACCURATE
5G mmWAVE
MEASUREMENTS
by Dylan McGrath, Senior Industry Solutions
Manager, Keysight Technologies
5G promises dramatic improvements over previous generations of
wireless communications technology, particularly in speed, latency,
bandwidth, and quality. Most of the gain comes from the utilisation
of 5G Frequency Range 2 (FR2) found in the millimeter-wave
(mmWave) spectrum. Mr Dylan McGrath
The mmWave spectrum is relatively under-utilised, requirement, combined with the excessive signal
meaning there is plenty of available bandwidth, path loss of mmWave transmissions, requires control
and mmWave transmissions are smaller than other and calibration of the radiated environment around
wireless communications signals, which makes them the test setup.
ideal for high-speed transmissions in dense urban
areas, where many devices operate in close proximity. Offsetting signal path loss requires flexible signal
analyser hardware and software that enable the
However, mmWave's advantages for 5G creation of the optimum solution for a specific signal
communications are partially offset by technical and measurement. For example, a signal analyser
challenges. To begin with, mmWave does not propagate can apply attenuation at higher power levels or a
very far - the transmissions are easily absorbed by preamplifier at lower power levels to measure a variety
the atmosphere and do not penetrate trees, building of input signals. Signal analysers provide several RF
walls, and other infrastructure. Accurately measuring signal paths to lower noise, improve sensitivity, and
the performance of mmWave devices with over-the-air reduce signal path loss.
(OTA) test equipment and methodologies is difficult.
The wide bandwidth of mmWave also degrades the Measuring low-level signals (default signal path)
signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) because the energy from
By default, in the signal analyser's standard signal
the signal spreads across the bandwidth. Finally,
path, the input travels through the RF attenuator,
mmWave uses higher-order modulation schemes
preamplifier, and preselector before reaching the
to improve spectral efficiency, which in turn requires
mixer. This signal path is ideal for measuring low-level
improvements in error vector magnitude (EVM)
signals that have a bandwidth of less than 45 MHz.
performance.
Analysing wideband vector signals (microwave

Path loss
preselector bypass path)
Excessive path loss is among the most vexing
mmWave wideband signals can be particularly
and commonly cited challenges to 5G mmWave
challenging to measure. Bypassing the signal
communications. Path loss between the device under
analyser's preselector is a good option when
test and the measurement equipment decreases
increasing the RF analysis bandwidth to analyse
the SNR, making it difficult to make accurate
wide-bandwidth vector signals, because it allows
measurements for metrics, such as EVM, adjacent
wide-bandwidth signals to pass unimpeded
channel power, and spurious emissions.
through the RF chain. Not only does bypassing the
Compounding the issue, the small size of components preselector enable wideband analysis, but it also
and antenna arrays eliminates the possibility of removes the amplitude drift and the preselector's
placing probes for conducted tests, necessitating passband ripple, further improving the overall
the use of OTA - or radiated - test. The OTA testing accuracy of the measurement.
SPONSORED FEATURE
Improving modulation analysis (low-noise signal path) enough, yet not too high that it overloads the digitiser.
The low-noise signal path is well suited for making The optimum balance is a delicate dance that requires
EVM measurements and other measurements that test a combination of RF attenuator, preamplifier, and IF
transmitter modulation quality at higher power levels. gain value based on the signal peak level. New signal
Since the gain of the amplifier, frequency responses, and analysers enable users to optimise these hardware
insertion loss are compounded at higher frequencies, settings at the touch of a button, improving SNR while
bypassing the lossy switches in the preamplifier path and avoiding digitiser overload. However, manually tweaking
the preamplifiers provides the optimal RF signal path. This settings such as IF gain and RF attenuators is often
path reduces path loss and the frequency responses and necessary for the optimum settings, yielding the best
noise created by the preamplifiers and switches. Choosing measurement results.
this signal path for wideband EVM measurement results at
higher frequencies increases measurement sensitivity and Components in the signal path
improves signal fidelity. Another critical factor to consider for making accurate 5G
mmWave measurements is the impact of components in
Wideband modulation analysis (full-bypass signal path) the path between the signal analyser and the DUT. The
A full-bypass signal path reduces path loss, improves signal components in the signal path can degrade the signal
fidelity, and increases measurement sensitivity. A full-bypass analyser's overall measurement accuracy.
signal path can reduce loss at mmWave frequencies by up to
Measurement accuracy becomes even more critical as
10 dB compared with the default signal path.
bandwidths grow wider and frequencies rise into the
The full-bypass signal path is a combination of the low-noise mmWave spectrum. With smaller margins for error,
signal path and the microwave preselector bypass path, engineers need to find ways to eliminate frequency
avoiding multiple switches in the low-band switch circuitry response errors, which occur at different frequencies and
as well as the microwave preselector. While the advantages impact phase and amplitude responses. Signal analysers
of using the full-bypass path are clear, this path has a few provide an internal calibration routine to correct their
drawbacks, including potential in-band imaging and low frequency responses.
SNR for testing low-power signals. However, eliminating
images in the band of interest by adding a bandpass Cables, connectors, switches, and fixtures in the signal path
filter can improve EVM results by 1 to 2 dB. An external between the signal analyser and the DUT can degrade
preamplifier can also enhance the SNR when testing low- measurement accuracy because of frequency response
power signals. errors. Using different amplitude correction configurations
and complex corrections can help remove frequency
responses, providing a more accurate picture of the DUT
Other considerations performance.
Another critical element that impacts the accuracy of
5G mmWave measurements is the input mixer level. Signal analysers enable the configuration of both amplitude
The input mixer-level setting of a signal analyser offers and complex corrections to correct frequency responses
a tradeoff between distortion performance and noise (although a high-performance signal generator or a vector
sensitivity. As discussed above, SNR is decreased in network analyser is required to calibrate the test network).
5G mmWave signals due to wideband noise and excess Using a signal generator in combination with a power
path loss, leading to poor EVM and adjacent power meter and sensor to measure amplitude, then inputting the
ratio measurements that do not represent the actual correction values into the signal analyser, is an effective
performance of the device under test (DUT). method for making amplitude corrections. New receiver
calibrators that are specifically designed for signal analyser
The signal analyser’s input mixer is another tool that can receiver measurement systems, such as Keysight’s U9361
help overcome the challenges of 5G mmWave frequency RCal receiver calibrators, provide a transfer standard
measurements. The optimum mixer-level setting is enabling both absolute amplitude and complex magnitude
dependent on the measurement hardware, input signal and phase corrections.
characteristics, and specification test requirements. It
is also possible to apply an external low-noise amplifier
Making accurate measurements for 5G at mmWave
(LNA) to the signal analyser’s front end to optimise the
frequencies
mixer's input level. Some new signal analysers such as
Keysight’s N9042B UXA X-Series signal analyser include The promise of 5G - especially the mmWave FR2 band of
a LNA in the signal path, along with the preamplifier. This 5G - is clear. It provides a step function increase in speed,
allows users to achieve the benefits of using a LNA to bandwidth, and performance and will ultimately enable
optimise the mixer’s input level without requiring external entirely new use cases and business models. But working
components. with mmWave frequencies presents obstacles, particularly
in terms of path loss, that make it challenging to make
To get the best EVM measurement results, the accurate, repeatable measurements. Understanding and
intermediate frequency (IF) noise of the signal analyser utilising the various RF signal path options on your signal
must be low enough that it does not further decrease analyser can help you overcome these challenges when
the SNR. The input signal to the digitiser must be high making 5G mmWave measurements.
DIGITALISATION
NEW SIGNAL ANALYSER ENABLES CUSTOMERS

TEST PERFORMANCE OF MILLIMETER-WAVE INNOVATIONS
Industries that will benefit include 5G, aerospace and defence, automotive, and satellite communications.
Keysight Technologies Inc, a leading technology company

that delivers advanced design and validation solutions,
recently announced the release of the company’s,
N9042B UXA X-Series signal analyser solution which
enables customers to test the performance of millimetre-
wave (mmWave) innovations in 5G, aerospace and
defence, automotive and satellite communications.
The new N9042B UXA X-Series signal analyser provides
wide analysis bandwidth and a deep dynamic range
to help customers solve difficult mmWave challenges,
including tight design margins and timelines, complex The Keysight N9042B UXA X-Series signal analyser with the U9361 RCal
modulation and stringent standards. receiver calibrator and V3050A frequency extender. Image: Keysight
Technologies Inc.
Keysight’s N9042B UXA X-Series signal analyser is said to
deliver several benefits to customers, such as:
• Ensuring designs meet the latest standards with mea- analysis software which perform transmitter downlink
surement applications and signal analysis software. and uplink measurements easily.
• Seeing signals clearly with an unbanded, preselected
sweep from 2 Hz to 110 GHz and up to 11 GHz of anal- Satellite Communications
ysis bandwidth. Today, customers need to characterise amplifiers and
• Testing the performance of a 5G new radio (NR) transmit- components at bandwidths wider than the target
ter with an advanced error vector magnitude (EVM). application. The N9042B UXA X-Series signal analyser
provides a wide analysis bandwidth and an unbanded,
• Finding out-of-band emissions or spurs quickly in radar
pre-selected frequency range to help customers
designs with superior swept displayed average noise
characterise the performance of their satellite designs.
level (DANL).
• Developing high-throughput satellite communication The N9042B UXA X-Series signal analyser solution
designs with 4 GHz of corrected analysis bandwidth. enables customers to reach high levels of measurement
accuracy with the following:
Test Application Software • The innovative Keysight V3050A Signal Analyzer Fre-
quency Extender which delivers measurement accuracy
To ensure designs meet the latest standards with ready-to-
of wideband signals at very high frequencies. It provides
use measurement applications for cellular communication,
wireless connectivity, and aerospace/defence, the company high sensitivity, unbanded and pre-selected frequency
integrated PathWave X-Series measurement applications coverage up to 110 GHz, a high dynamic range and a
with the UXA X-Series signal analyser. These applications seamless interface to the N9042B UXA signal analyser.
simplify complex tasks and deliver repeatable results. • Keysight’s RCal receiver calibrator which corrects sys-
In addition, the 89600 PathWave Vector Signal Analysis tem path losses and frequency responses up to 5 GHz
software, a comprehensive set of tools for demodulation IF bandwidth, without the need for an external vector
and vector signal analysis, offers support for more than network analyser, cabling and manual test-plane char-
75 signal standards and modulation types, and enables acterisation. The palm-sized RCal seamlessly transfers
customers to explore every facet of a signal and optimise precision factory calibration data to the Keysight X-Se-
their most advanced designs. ries signal analyser over a USB connection, reducing
the effort and complexity required to improve mea-
Cellular Communications surement accuracy for the test receiver system.
Testing 5G components and devices, as per the 3GPP • Keysight's companion VXG microwave signal generator
5G New Radio (5G NR) standard Releases 15 and 16, which offers high output power with ultra-low phase
requires a solution with higher accuracy, sensitivity, and noise and wide bandwidth for demanding wireless,
bandwidth capability. as well as aerospace and defence applications. The
VXG's dual-channel architecture, quickly switches from
The N9042B signal analyser tests the true performance blocker and interferer tests to dual channel MIMO and
of transmitter designs with EVM and 5G NR signal beamforming tests.

June 2021
DIGITALISATION
HELPING ENGINEERS TO SOLVE CHALLENGES

Mr Joe Rickert, Vice President, High-Frequency Measurement CoE and Product
Management, Keysight Technologies, elaborates on the advantages of, and the
possibilities with, the company’s new signal analyser.
The Singapore Engineer (TSE): What factors drove The N9042B signal analyser
the development of the new N9042B UXA X-Series is capable of performing 5G
signal analyser solution? NR transmitter downlink
and uplink measurements
Joe Rickert (JR): Keysight Technologies is dedicated as per 3GPP 5G NR standard
to providing advanced design and validation Release 15 and Release
solutions to help accelerate innovation to connect 16 specifications, with
and secure the world. one-button simplicity. The
It is clear that enterprises require analysis solutions incorporated 5G NR signal Mr Joe Rickert
to test the real performance of their millimeter-wave analysis software enables
(mmWave) innovations in 5G, aerospace and defence, engineers to test the true performance of their 5G
automotive, and satellite communications. Our NR transmitter designs.
new N9042B UXA X-Series signal analyser solution For satellite communications, enterprises and
is designed to provide wide analysis bandwidth and service providers are required to characterise
a deep dynamic range to help engineers solve their amplifiers and components at bandwidths much
most difficult mmWave challenges, including tight wider than the target application. By offering a wide
design margins and timelines, complex modulation and analysis bandwidth and an unbanded, pre-selected
stringent standards. frequency range, the N9042B UXA X-Series signal
TSE: What are the main functions of the new analyser helps characterise the performance of
product? satellite designs.
JR: The new N9042B UXA X-Series signal analyser In addition, the new RCal receiver calibrator enables
helps ensure designs meet the latest standards with enterprises and service providers to correct system
ready-to-use measurement applications and signal path losses and frequency responses up to 5 GHz IF
analysis software. It helps detect signals clearly, with bandwidth, without the need for an external vector
network analyser, cabling and manual test-plane
an unbanded, pre-selected sweep, from 2 Hz to 110
characterisation.
GHz and up to 11GHz of analysis bandwidth, as well as
out-of-band emissions or spurs in radar designs with TSE: Could you comment on the user-friendliness of
superior swept displayed average noise level (DANL). the product?
Other functions include the ability to develop high- JR: The N9042B UXA X-Series signal analyser
throughput satellite communication designs with 4 features powerful software to help customers
GHz of corrected analysis bandwidth, and test the drive their measurements while the finely-tuned
true performance of new radio (NR) transmitters hardware is robust, and with an intuitive, multi-
with an advanced error vector magnitude (EVM). touch user interface, the analyser sets a new level of
performance for high frequency measurements.
Keysight’s PathWave X-Series measurement
applications and the 89600 PathWave Vector Signal Frequency options, up to 110 GHz, cover the current
Analysis (VSA) software, integrated with the N9042B 5GNR FR1 and FR2 bands, as well as most radar,
UXA X-Series signal analyser, help simplify complex EW, and satellite bands. Analysis bandwidth can be
tasks and provide a comprehensive set of tools for configured to 1 GHz, 1.5 GHz, 2 GHz, 4 GHz, and even
users to explore and analyse signals thoroughly, to up to 11 GHz bandwidth using an external digitiser.
advance their latest designs. The analyser can also be paired with a vector signal
generator (VXG), for seamless operation when testing
TSE: What are its main advantages over existing and measuring transmit and receive characteristics for
products? the customer device under test.
JR: At mmWave frequencies, signals are more A completely new front end provides low-noise
susceptible to impairments that greatly affect the performance and a high dynamic range, addressing
signal quality, such as IQ modulation errors, phase applications in Tx test, such as EVM and other
noise, distortion, signal-to-noise ratio, amplitude, modulation quality tests - while also excelling at
and phase linearity. measurements of low-level and unknown signals.

June 2021
DIGITALISATION
RISING TRENDS IN THE ADOPTION OF
COLLABORATIVE AUTOMATION
by James McKew, Regional Director Asia-Pacific, Universal Robots
Advantages include competitive costs, rapid payback, and ease of deployment. Mr James McKew
More factories than ever before now rely on robots to

help relieve human workers from tedious and dangerous
tasks, ensure product quality with repetitive tasks, and
improve overall productivity.
In 2020, the International Federation of Robotics (IFR)
estimated that 2.7 million industrial robots are currently
deployed around the globe. The IFR also reported that
collaborative robots (cobots) have overtaken tradition-
al robots in terms of growth, growing up to four times
faster in 2019.
Leveraging HMLV production

In the past decade, the manufacturing sector has seen a Hyundae Induction Hardening Heat Treatment (HIHHT), from South
Korea, deployed two UR10 cobots in its induction hardening heat-
considerable shift away from mass production towards
treatment process. The UR10 cobots helped free human labour from
high-mix/low-volume (HMLV) production batches. simple repetitive tasks, allowing flexible labour re-allocations.
Universal Robots (UR) supports this trend towards
customised manufacturing by providing manufactur-
ers with versatile collaborative robots that are easy
to program, making it easy to accommodate short
production runs.
Cobots are versatile and flexible, making them ideally
suited to HMLV manufacturing environments. UR cobots
can be deployed on a wide variety of applications, including
assembly, dispensing, finishing, machine tending, material
handling, material removal, quality inspection, and welding.
The UR+ ecosystem builds on this flexibility by providing
a range of software and hardware components, from
end-of-arm tooling to vision systems and inspection and
palletising kits, designed to provide manufacturers with Craft and Technik Industries (CATI) in India deployed UR cobots for
automatic inspection and CNC machine tending tasks.
all tools needed to quickly set up a specialised automa-
tion project. Additionally, following a risk assessment,
cobots can be deployed safely next to human workers (CATI) in India deployed UR cobots for automatic inspec-
without the need for safety cages or fences, which fur- tion and CNC machine tending tasks.
ther facilitates quick and easy deployments. As a result, efficiency at the SME has increased, with
Hyundae Induction Hardening Heat Treatment (HIHHT) production volume going up between 15% and 20%, with
from South Korea deployed two UR10 cobots in its zero defects or customer rejections.
HMLV manufacturing facility. As a result, the production “We talk about unemployment all over the country but
failure rate decreased from 0.03% to 0.01% and overall the truth with the SME sector is that we actually cannot
production efficiency increased by 31%. By automating find enough qualified labour. Hence, the best combina-
repetitive processes, the company was able to hire two tion for us is incorporating robots in our manufacturing,
additional employees. alongside human workers. Smartly combining the num-
ber of machines and robots ensures that the payback
Filling the labour shortages gap period will be faster. The time has come for SMEs to
automate - robots are no longer the prerogative of
Driven by difficulties finding manual labour, automotive
large-scale industries only”, said Mr Prashant Shantaram
component manufacturer Craft and Technik Industries
Umbrani, CEO of CATI.

June 2021
DIGITALISATION
Low barriers to automation adoption the costs associated with having to get robot experts to
Traditional robots are expensive to purchase and main- re-program the cobots, while providing the opportunity
tain, require extensive safety features including cages to upskill existing workers for high-value cobot monitor-
and fencing, and require experts for programming, ing and programming tasks.
maintenance, and repair. Each of these factors acts as a In factories where space is at a premium, cobots offer a
barrier to automation adoption, particularly for SMEs. way to implement automation without having to rede-
Whereas, UR cobots lower these barriers, making it eas- sign production lines. This is because cobots have a small
ier than ever to justify the cost of investing in industrial footprint and can be moved easily to a different part of
automation. the factory shop floor as production schedules change,
for example, by mounting them on a mobile platform
Cobots cost a fraction of the price of traditional robots
or lifting them using a dolly. Cobots are easy to add to a
and typically provide a return on investment (ROI) in
production line since they can be deployed close to hu-
as short as 12 months. Universal Robots has further
man workers without the need for space-sapping safety
lowered the financial burden through UR Financial cages and fencing (upon risk assessment).
Services, enabling manufacturers to instantly reap the
benefits of cobot automation without worrying about The last two decades have been marked by significant
cash flow and seasonal fluctuations. This means that advancements in robotic automation. As the industry
companies of any size and budget can get started with moves towards smart factories, how robots are used in
cobots quickly and without having to make capital manufacturing is changing, as shown, for example, by
investments in equipment. the emergence of cobots and the growing use of artificial
intelligence (AI) in industrial settings. Now, manufactur-
Cobots are designed with ease-of-use in mind. This ers of all sizes, from the automotive, electronics, phar-
means that the vast majority of operators, having maceutical, medical and consumer products sectors, are
completed a simple online training course, are able to adopting robotic automation. Even the farming sector is
program UR cobots quickly and easily. Cobots eliminate benefitting from these developments.
ACCELERATED PRODUCTION SETUP TO MAKE COVID-19 VACCINE

The BioNTech SE biotechnology company, based in now be performed by Siemens weighing systems,
Mainz, Germany, has converted an existing facility ensuring precise measurement of weight, which is
in Marburg, also in Germany, in record time, with vital for product quality. All systems were modified
assistance from Siemens, to make it suitable for the for automation using the Simatic PCS 7 process
production of the COVID-19 vaccine. The production control system, which controls and regulates
plant has been producing the active substance since the system processes. Other products used
February and the vaccine BNT162b2 (also known as include network technology, WLAN access points,
COMIRNATY), since the end of March. communication technology and the TIA Portal
engineering framework. Siemens supports system
BioNTech acquired a production facility for this
implementation for production startup at BioNTech
in the fall of 2020, that was already equipped
with in-depth service and on-call readiness. Siemens
with capabilities for producing biotechnological
and BioNTech enjoy a long tradition of collaboration
substances. Through collaboration with Siemens
and have intensified their cooperation for COVID-19
and the team of experts on site in Marburg, the
vaccine production.
project timeline for converting the existing facility
to make it suitable for the production of mRNA-
vaccine was cut, from around one year down to five
months, and the implementation of key parts of the
new Manufacturing Execution System (MES) was
reduced to two and half months. The new system
and end-to-end digitalisation of production enable
‘paperless documentation of production’, which can
immediately fulfill all documentation requirements.
The entire process flow is controlled using Siemens
products. The Opcenter Execution Pharma MES
is used to orchestrate subsystems and processes
and to analyse their quality. Production processes The BioNTech SE biotechnology company based in Mainz,
can be automatically developed, optimised and Germany, has converted an existing facility for the production
managed. mRNA processes encompass a number of the COVID-19 vaccine in record time, with assistance from
of manual work steps, such as weighing, which can Siemens. Image: BioNTech SE 2020.

June 2021
CFD SIMULATION
USING A SUPERCOMPUTER
FOR PRODUCT INNOVATION
Previously unfeasible simulations can be done much faster.
Hexagon, a global leader in sensor, software and a third of the energy of the computers they use
autonomous solutions, has demonstrated how currently, reducing cost and improving environmental
innovation can be accelerated by opening up the sustainability.
possibility of completing complex CFD (computational
This development is revolutionary for engineers
fluid dynamics) simulations using the world’s fastest
in a number of sectors, including automotive,
supercomputer, Fugaku, developed jointly by RIKEN
aerospace and construction, all of which need the
and Fujitsu Limited. Such simulations were previously
insights provided by large-scale CFD simulation.
too time-consuming and expensive.
This is valuable at a time when the automotive and
The company’s Manufacturing Intelligence division aerospace industries are racing to bring new forms of
has shown that the performance of next-generation mobility and new electrified transport to market.
electric vehicles and aircraft can be explored in
For example, automotive OEMs are under pressure to
greater detail and with many more iterations using
accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. By saving
the power of simulation. By exploiting cutting-edge
time on manual processes like meshing, manufacturers
semiconductors, manufacturers can analyse all
can run more simulations to better understand how the
the complexities of reality, with less than half the
aerodynamics of a new model impacts energy efficiency
energy use and at a fraction of the cost of traditional
and range, and are able to iterate more between design
simulation methods.
and engineering, and ultimately achieve the optimal
CFD simulations require significant computational design. Thermal management is also particularly
power and resource. Consequently, engineers have important in electric vehicles, as managing the heat of a
to spend many hours simplifying a real product vehicle optimises its performance, safety and longevity
design just so that it can be simulated to make - all of which are major challenges for the EV market.
sure it will perform as needed. In some instances, Understanding these issues through higher resolution
90% of an engineer’s time can be dedicated to this simulations enables engineers to achieve optimal designs
manual process, and engineers are increasingly being and bring models with attractive design and range to
challenged to ‘scale-up’ simulations to manage more market faster.
elements. As a result, the cost and time to achieve
Hexagon experts collaborated closely with Fujitsu
these simulations are prohibitive and engineers can
Limited to tune the Cradle CFD code to run on Fugaku
only simulate an approximation of a product.
and complete test simulations. A typical family car was
Now, Hexagon’s Cradle CFD customers will have the simulated in its entirety, which is only possible with
opportunity to tap into the power of the ARM-based enhanced computational power. This model comprised
Fugaku computer architecture to achieve complex 70 million elements using 960 cores and was
simulations quickly and easily. This is made possible simulated until steady state using the RANS equation
through a new partnership which will allow customers over 1000 cycles.
to use Cradle CFD software on Fujitsu Limited’s
In aerospace, the impact of turbulence that
commercially available Supercomputer PRIMEHPC
forms around the wings of an aircraft is of critical
series that utilises the Fugaku technology.
importance to how it is controlled and its safety.
Engineers will now be able to simulate complex Turbulence is the result of many vortices, some of
designs without having to simplify them, not only which are so small that it is not feasible to simulate
saving time but also giving access to significantly them using current methods. Using Cradle technology
enhanced detail. This, in turn, will enable them to with Fugaku’s extra computational resource, engineers
explore multiple design options and do so quickly, can now achieve a higher resolution simulation to
using simulation more frequently to refine and test enable them to better understand the impact of
their designs and explore new concepts that cannot turbulence on the structural safety of the aircraft
be explored with physical testing or simulation and the forces it can withstand. This is important for
today. Manufacturers now stand to benefit from this the development of the next generation of aircraft,
increased speed and detail. Their engineers could including those in the supersonic and hypersonic
also use this type of simulation routinely in their daily range, as engineers need to understand the behaviour
work, as the Fugaku architecture uses approximately of shockwaves around the aircraft.

June 2021
CFD SIMULATION
The team successfully completed a test simulation

of transonic compressible fluid around an aeroplane.
Transonic analysis is essential to the design of safe and Siemens acquires Nextflow
efficient aircraft, helping engineers understand what Software
happens when the air flows around a wing control
surface. The simulation comprised approximately Siemens announced recently that it has acquired
230 million elements. It used 4,000 nodes (192,000 Nextflow Software, an independent provider of
computing cores) and 48,000 processes via Message advanced particle-based computational fluid
Passing Interface (MPI) and four threads via the dynamics (CFD) solutions. Nextflow Software
OpenMP application programming interface. will become part of Siemens Digital Industries
Software, where its offering will expand the
This research was carried out by receiving the Simcenter software portfolio, part of the Siemens’
computational resources of the supercomputer Xcelerator portfolio of software and services, with
Fugaku of RIKEN through the HPCI System Utilization rapid meshless CFD capabilities to accelerate the
Research Project (Issue No: hp200209, hp200302). analysis of complex transient applications in the
automotive, aerospace, and marine industries such
as gear box lubrication, tank sloshing or electric
motor spray cooling.
“Our customers need to leverage sophisticated
simulations earlier and more often in their design
process, and this is creating a strong demand for
rapid and automated CFD of dynamic gas-liquid
flows. Meshless technology has emerged as a leading
solution to greatly reduce the setup and solving
times for this class of problems, accelerating time
to results, and prove the behaviour of products at a
reduced time and cost”, said Jean-Claude Ercolanelli,
Senior Vice President, Simulation and Test Solutions,
Siemens Digital Industries Software.
A car can be simulated in its entirety, which is only possible with Siemens Digital Industries Software is already
enhanced computational power.
positioned strongly in the CFD market, providing
both CAD-centric and high-fidelity solutions
across mechanical and electrical design scenarios.
The addition of Nextflow Software’s Smooth-
Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) technology into the
Simcenter portfolio can enable analysts to leverage
the complementary nature of meshless and
mesh-based solvers to capitalise on each of their
strengths, opening the door to new applications
that were previously difficult to address.
“We are very excited to join Siemens and expand
the scope of CFD simulation for our customers.
Today, there is no single validation approach that
fits all industrial applications. As engineering
problems become more complex and design cycles
are shortened, analysts must find the optimal
trade-off between accuracy and computation
time. Nextflow Software’s SPH solutions nicely
complement the existing CFD offering in the
Simcenter Portfolio to overcome challenges of
complexity and long run-times”, said Vincent
Perrier, CEO of Nextflow Software.
Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Nantes,
France, Nextflow Software is a startup company
focused on the development of innovative SPH
meshless CFD methods. The company has helped
Using Cradle technology with Fugaku’s extra computational resource, move SPH from academic labs to the hands of
engineers can now achieve a higher resolution simulation to enable analysts across industries.
them to better understand the impact of turbulence on the structural
safety of the aircraft and the forces it can withstand.

June 2021
PROJECT APPLICATION
DEVELOPING EXPERTISE IN SMART OFFICE LIGHTING
THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION
The collaboration between one of Asia Pacific’s largest advisory, design and engineering
consultancies, and a world leader in lighting, yields positive results.
Beca’s Singapore Digital Innovation Hub (DIH), launched

in 2019, is a focal point for applications of emerging
digital technologies in advanced manufacturing and
smart cities.
Interact Office light management software transformed
the hub into an intelligent workplace while advancing
Beca’s proficiency in connected lighting systems.
GAINING FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE

Established in 1979 and as one of Asia Pacific’s largest The smart lighting system collects data through sensors in the LED
advisory, design and engineering consultancies, lights to provide insights on the use of space and lighting.
Singapore-based Beca wanted to sharpen its ability to
offer cutting-edge and pragmatic advice in the field of efficient user interface (UI) for users. With this UI, users
smart buildings, by gaining first-hand experience in the can easily communicate with the building infrastructure
deployment of connected lighting systems. using any standard messaging application on their
smartphones, with complete security and authentication.
Their focus was on transforming their DIH into an
intelligent workspace integrated with IoT sensors Valuable practical knowledge was gained in the process
and road-testing technologies such as augmented of deploying the chatbot - it was trained to understand
and virtual reality, artificial intelligence (AI), machine human speak and overcome privacy issues encountered
learning and other applications. Beca also aimed in the analysis of the employees’ room-booking habits
to collaborate with an industry leader in lighting via their emails.
technologies to co-create smart solutions that This chatbot integration realised Beca’s goal to co-
effectively address implementation, cybersecurity and innovate with Signify and create smart solutions for
privacy challenges. connected lighting systems.
IMPLEMENTATION OF SMART SOLUTIONS RESULTS FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION

Beca collaborated with Signify and installed its Interact Overall, Interact Office has transformed the DIH into
Office software applications and data-enabled services an intelligent building and brought Beca another step
at the DIH. The implementation started with replacing forward as a value-adding consultancy.
the DIH’s lighting with energy-efficient luminaires
and connecting its lighting systems using standard Key outcomes of the Interact Office deployment include:
networking and communications technologies to realise Security and privacy insights
cost savings and operational efficiency.
The implementation enabled the Beca team to understand
A key feature of the smart lighting system is an issues in cybersecurity and privacy that could arise when
integrated chatbot called Charlotte that receives data deploying smart building solutions.
on room usage from a series of sensors. These sensors
Space management
are embedded in the lighting system for fast, secure
collection and sharing of data with DIH’s existing By collecting data on meeting room usage over the smart
management systems, using secure, well-defined APIs. lighting system, Interact optimises room usage.
Besides optimising usage of meeting rooms throughout Enhanced user experience
the building to reduce energy consumption, the chatbot DIH employees can now interact with and control the
also maximises space usage and provides employees building's lighting infrastructure, with their phones, as
with a simple and fast way to book a room. well as gather insights into lighting usage via an intuitive
deshboard, and optimise operations remotely.
With the support of ICT service provider, Getronics, the
chatbot was trained to communicate with the lighting Beca has, since, designed smart lighting solutions in
and meeting room management systems to deliver an more than 50,000 m2 of commercial space.

June 2021
PROJECT APPLICATION
DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY
THROUGHOUT THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Digital solutions help to increase energy efficiency.
AVEVA, a global leader in industrial software, recently

announced that Henkel, a global consumer goods
and industrial chemicals manufacturer with a diverse
portfolio of well-known brands, has implemented AVEVA
digital solutions to help accelerate sustainability within
its supply chain.
By integrating AVEVA System Platform, AVEVA Historian
and AVEVA Manufacturing Execution System, Henkel is
monitoring and minimising energy consumption, having
saved EUR 8 million year-on-year in 2020, and is working
towards its target of becoming three times more energy-
efficient by 2030.
With sustainability at the heart of its strategy, Henkel’s
Laundry & Home Care business unit wanted to reduce
energy consumption and align with ISO 50001 Standards
at all its production sites. Using AVEVA software
installed by EMP Etteplan GmbH, the team was able to
successfully optimise collection, use and communication
of energy consumption and emissions data across its Digital solutions from AVEVA are helping Henkel to increase energy
supply chain. As a result, the team has improved supply- efficiency and accelerate sustainability within its supply chain.
chain resource efficiency of on-site production by 5% to
6% annually. developing technology solutions that are contributing
towards effectively reducing industrial organisations’
“When we started implementing AVEVA digital solutions environmental footprints. Digital technologies play a
in 2013, we were already achieving a 3% year-on-year vital role in realising sustainable ambitions and AVEVA
energy saving on every ton of product produced. By the is primed to support our customers globally in taking
time we had completed the implementation, we were charge of their sustainability objectives”, said Ms Kim
seeing a clear increase in energy efficiency. For example, Custeau, Senior Vice President APM and MES, AVEVA.
AVEVA-based Environmental Management System (EMS)
has reduced Henkel’s energy consumption (kWh/t) “Our offerings are enabling our customers to integrate
year-on-year by up to 16% in 2020 against a business-as- legacy solutions seamlessly, providing advanced
usual operation. To put this into perspective, the energy analytics that drive sustainable decision-making through
saved is equivalent to the capacity needed to support actionable insights. Our aim is to continue to work with
the three million inhabitants of two European capital world leaders like Henkel, where our business goals are
cities, Amsterdam and Vienna”, said Mr Wolfgang Weber, technologically advanced and aligned to support the
Corporate Director, Digital Transformation & Engineering global sustainability agenda”, Ms Custeau added.
Laundry & Home Care, Henkel. “In terms of our vision for the future, AVEVA software
will continue to provide the technology that Henkel
Using technology to deliver sustainable outcomes Laundry & Home Care needs to achieve its goals.
AVEVA’s flexible solution enabled Henkel’s Laundry & Sustainability and efficient use of resources are firmly
Home Care business unit to address all the information anchored in Henkel’s corporate values - and this is not
system architecture requirements needed to realise something recent. We were one of the first companies
these emissions savings. The project took less than 18 to start publishing an annual sustainability report 30
months to start delivering audited benefits and included years ago and today we have our sights set firmly on
the energy monitoring solution using AVEVA System our long-term sustainability goals and are proud that
Platform and AVEVA Historian. our commitment has recently been recognised by the
World Economic Forum (WEF) designating several of
“With many organisations today focused on driving our factories as sustainability lighthouses”, said Dr Dirk
sustainable business practices, AVEVA has made Holbach, Corporate Senior Vice President, Global Supply
positive strides towards this universal call to action, by Chain Laundry & Home Care, Henkel.

June 2021
SUSTAINABILITY
INNOVATIVE CARBON
CAPTURE TECHNOLOGIES
A new report provides an overview of the different methods that are currently deployed and those
that are being developed.
Carbon capture technology may be essential for the

world to stay within the 2°C warming target outlined
by the Paris Agreement. Although the deployment of
this technology has begun to pick up in recent years, it
is still a long way from the levels of scale-up needed to
have a meaningful impact on climate change. Current
technology for stripping CO2 from industrial gas streams
or directly from the atmosphere remains costly and en-
ergy-intensive, and existing carbon capture facilities have
struggled with downtime, keeping to CO2 capture targets,
and managing costs.
In this climate, there are significant research efforts
Basic overview of a solvent-based CO2 capture process. Image: IDTechEx
aiming to boost the effectiveness of CO2 capturing tech-
nology and facilitate deployment of what could be a vital
technology in the fight against climate change. solvents for carbon capture, offering high chemical
reactivity, favorable kinetics, and acceptable stability.
‘Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) 2021- However, there are also several drawbacks, including
2040’ is a new report from IDTechEx, that provides a com- high energy consumption during solvent regeneration;
prehensive evaluation of technology development within corrosiveness, meaning that inhibitors and resistant ma-
the field of carbon capture, including identification of the terials are required; difficulties in scaling up to the level
key drivers and restraints to success in the industry. of thousands of tonnes of CO2 capture per day; and deg-
radation in the presence of O2, SOx and other impurities
SOLVENT-BASED CAPTURE METHODS such as particles, HCl, HF, and Hg.
Almost all large-scale carbon capture facilities currently Research is focusing on overcoming these issues, with
in operation use solvent-based capture methods, where companies developing proprietary amine-based solvents
the CO2-containing gas stream is exposed to a liquid for next-generation carbon capture projects, such as
medium that absorbs the CO2 by either a chemical or the KS-1 Solvent developed by Mitsubishi, used in the
physical mechanism. The absorption liquid is then regen- Petra Nova facility in Texas, and Shell Global’s CanSolv
erated using high temperatures or reduced pressures to Solvent which is used in the Boundary Dam CCS project
break the absorbent-CO2 bond, yielding a pure stream of in Canada. Options include sterically-hindered amines
CO2 that can be further processed. Although solvents can that form weaker bonds with CO2 during the reaction,
capture high levels of CO2, regeneration can be extreme- facilitating solvent regeneration, non-amine solvents
ly energy-intensive, particularly for chemical sorbents, that can offer novel chemical trapping mechanisms, and
making the CO2 capture process uneconomical and blends of amines and/or non-amines that can optimise
reducing the sustainability of the process. CO2 capture for a given situation.
The use of chemical absorption solvents The use of physical absorption solvents
Chemical absorption solvents are the most mature meth- Physical absorption solvents selectively capture CO2
od of capturing CO2, with most carbon capture facilities when in contact with a gas stream, without a chemical
currently relying on them. Chemical absorption is based reaction occurring. Compared with chemical absorption,
on a reaction between CO2 and the solvent, leading to physical absorption solvent regeneration is relatively easy
weak chemical bonds being formed. Chemical absorption and does not require elevated temperatures, although
solvents are generally more selective for CO2 than physical physical absorption solvents are often less selective than
absorption solvents and are effective even at low partial chemical absorption solvents and can be ineffective at
pressures of CO2, enabling high levels of absorption. low CO2 partial pressures.
Most chemical absorption solvents are based on amines, Unlike chemical absorption solvents, physical absorption
with amines having been used for CO2 removal in gas solvents utilise a range of different compounds, with each
treatment industrially since the 1950s. Primary alkanol- solvent being suited to a specific use case. For example,
amines such as MEA and DGA are the most widely used the Rectisol process, licensed by Lurgi AG, an affiliated

June 2021
SUSTAINABILITY
company of Air Liquide, uses chilled methanol as a solvent Membrane-based CO2 separation
and can be applied for low and moderate CO2 concentrat- Membranes are also a potentially promising option for
ed gas streams. Due to the high vapour pressure of the carbon capture. Because they are passive, relying on
solvent, the absorption stage must be carried out at very diffusion of CO2, do not use chemicals or moving parts,
low temperatures to reduce solvent losses. and do not require regeneration steps, membranes may
Research is now focusing on developing physical sol- result in significantly lower operating costs for CO2 cap-
vents with high thermal stability, improved selectivity, ture compared with solvent or sorbent-based methods.
low vapour pressures, and low flammability and toxicity. The Polaris membrane, developed by Membrane Tech-
Promising avenues include fluorinated solvents and ionic nology and Research Inc, in collaboration with the US
liquids, however, both face challenges with high viscosi- Department of Energy, is the first commercial membrane
ties and production costs. developed specifically for CO2 capture applications.
However, there are many challenges associated with
ALTERNATIVE METHODS membrane separation for CO2 capture and few compa-
Although liquid amine scrubbing technology (i.e. chem- nies are actively using it in large-scale facilities or pilots.
ical solvent-based capture) will likely dominate carbon These challenges include trade-offs between gas perme-
capture for the next few years, there is much interest in ance and selectivity, and stability issues in the presence
alternative methods for CO2 capture, although it remains of acid gases.
predominantly at the academic research level. Promising Membranes are also prone to fouling, reducing efficacy
options include solid sorbent-based CO2 capture and with time. The low partial pressures of CO2 in most waste
membrane-based CO2 separation, although there is a gas streams also present a challenge. Before membranes
range of other emerging techniques, such as cryogenic can be commercially successful in CO2 capture, innovation
separation, electrochemical membranes, and additive in process design and membrane materials is required.
manufacturing of novel system components and materials.
Nevertheless, if a successful membrane technology could
be developed, it would drastically reduce carbon capture
Solid sorbent-based CO2 capture costs and could significantly propel carbon capture de-
Solid sorbents for CO2 capture include a range of porous, ployment across the world.
solid-phase materials including mesoporous silicas,
zeolites, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Solid
sorbents could potentially offer several benefits over Other novel approaches
solvent-based capture methods. Unlike amine-based Beyond solvents, solid sorbents, and passive membranes,
solvents, solid sorbents generally do not form chemical companies and researchers around the world are work-
bonds with CO2, reducing the energy needed for sorbent ing to develop novel methods of capturing CO2 that can
regeneration. Additionally, solid sorbents can offer great- overcome the limitations of the more established technol-
er CO2 selectivities and improved stability compared with ogies. SES Innovation is developing what it calls ‘Cryo-
solvent-based capture. genic Carbon Capture’, where gas streams are cooled to
temperatures below -140°C, causing the CO2 to desubli-
However, there are also several disadvantages. Manufac- mate, forming a solid, which is then separated, gasified,
turing costs are likely to be much higher than for simple and pressurised for utilisation or storage. SES Innovation
amines. There are also significant engineering challenges claims this method can achieve up to 99% CO2 capture at a
to overcome - many solid-based sorbents have only been much lower cost than the conventional methods.
tested at the lab scale under ideal conditions, meaning
that much R&D is still needed before solid sorbents can FuellCell Energy is attempting to develop fuel cell technol-
become commonplace in commercial-scale carbon cap- ogy specifically for carbon capture, using electrochemical
ture projects. membranes to separate CO2 from industrial waste gas
streams. Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Svante is one of the few companies developing commer- are even investigating the use of additive manufacturing in
cial-scale solid sorbent-based capture technology. The carbon capture, developing creative heat exchangers and
company’s technology captures CO2 from flue gas, con- mass-exchanging contactors for efficient carbon capture.
centrates it, then releases it for storage or utilisation, with
the process taking only 60 seconds. The company uses
nanoscale solid adsorbents with extremely large surface
SUMMARY
areas to maximise CO2 absorption, which it claims results Overall, innovation in carbon capture technology may
in a greater absorption capacity than would be possible be critical in ensuring the commercial viability of the
using solvents. Although the technology is still in its early technology, helping it overcome several of the barriers to
stages, having been demonstrated in a 30 tonne/day pilot widespread deployment. Although amine-based solvent
facility in Saskatchewan, Canada, many in the industry capture methods are likely to remain the dominant
are optimistic about its potential. Svante has raised over choice over the next few years, a growing number of
USD 75 million in funding and is engaging in partnerships companies are innovating in the space of carbon capture
with several companies across the carbon capture space, technology and developing a range of creative solutions
including Chevron Technology Ventures, Oxy Low Carbon for tackling the issue of CO2 emissions.
Ventures, Climeworks, and Opus-12. (More information may be obtained from www.IDTechEx.com)

June 2021
SUSTAINABILITY
THE ROAD TO
GREENER HYDROGEN
by Mats W Lundberg, Head of Sustainability, Sandvik
A look at the existing scenario and future possibilities. Mr Mats W Lundberg
Whether hydrogen fuel holds the key to delivering Hydrogen could certainly replace gas to fuel our vehicles
widespread renewable power is subject to heavy debate. and heat our homes - but those applications are drops in
What cannot be argued is the sheer investment that an ocean of possibility.
backers are putting into the energy source - as much as
When green hydrogen takes off, it could decarbonise
EUR 470 billion by 2050. When sceptics protest hydro-
gen’s potential, as both an effective and eco-friendly fuel industries that already rely on hydrogen. Today, around
source, it is important that they see the bigger picture. 70 million tonnes of hydrogen are produced globally and
used across sectors including petrochemicals, solar pan-
Currently, around 96% of hydrogen is generated from fossil els and glass manufacturing. Selling green hydrogen into
fuels. The gas is predominantly produced by reforming these industries, especially as its cost reduces, would
methane, which creates carbon dioxide (CO2). Carbon cap- automatically make them more sustainable without
ture and storage can make this production method more needing to change one of their core raw materials.
sustainable, but that is also under development.
Concentrating on where hydrogen is right now could Powering the future
make anyone uncertain about its future. So instead, let Green hydrogen will be critical for difficult-to-decarbo-
us consider where hydrogen could be, and what it will nise industries, like cement, steel and glass production.
take to get there. For heating and powering buildings and industry, hy-
drogen can make use of existing assets. In particular for
Different types of hydrogen buildings, low concentrations of green hydrogen could
Hydrogen produced using fossil fuels is just one type of be blended into public natural gas networks without any
hydrogen - the grey variety. The types of hydrogen refer infrastructure upgrades.
to the different ways it can be produced. Blue hydro- Most renewables have low operating costs and they have
gen is also made using fossil fuels, but carbon capture to be ‘always on’ to be efficient, regardless of electricity de-
technologies at hydrogen plants prevent CO2 from being mand. This means that wind turbine blades will keep turning,
released into the atmosphere. even if the grid does not require their energy. In fact, many
The third type, green hydrogen, is the end-goal for hy- countries experience days where electricity prices reach
drogen producers, as it produces zero carbon emissions. negative levels due to a surplus in wind and solar supply.
This is because it is produced through electrolysis that The surplus of renewable energy can be used to power
is powered by renewable resources like offshore wind. electrolysis, thus making use of otherwise wasted renew-
While this produces CO2, it does not add any new carbon able energy and enabling renewable operators to profit
into the biosphere, and could be combined with carbon from energy that would have been lost.
capture and storage.
The infrastructure to build this hydrogen economy is al-
Currently, producing grey hydrogen is the cheapest ready out there, although some investment into existing
option and estimated costs are around EUR 1.5/kg for assets will still be required.
countries in the European Union (EU). However, there
are drawbacks to grey hydrogen’s lower rate as CO2 emis-
sions carry an increasing cost, making the cost-efficiency The role of materials specialists
of grey hydrogen unsustainable. Stainless steel alloy tubes, like those that can be provid-
ed by Sandvik, as part of our Mobile Services Solution,
A scale-up of electrolysis could boost the feasibility of green can be used to transport hydrogen from storage tanks
hydrogen, increasing both its availability and cost-efficiency. to dispensers. The mobile service, which provides a full
Countries across the globe are focusing on green hydro- tubing solution in a container, is already helping one
gen production. energy supplier to install several hydrogen stations using
a simpler, modular method.
The bigger picture (More information on Sandvik’s materials expertise
Another reason why sceptics may underestimate hy- for creating hydrogen solutions may be obtained from
drogen is because they do not realise its full potential. https://www.home.sandvik/en/)

June 2021
PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS
REC GROUP LAUNCHES FOURTH GENERATION

OF THE TWINPEAK SOLAR PANEL
REC Group, an
international solar energy
company, headquartered The next generation of REC Alpha
in Norway, has solar panels announced
announced the launch
of the REC TwinPeak REC Group has announced the development of
4 Series, the fourth the new REC Alpha Pure Black solar panel. With
generation of its award- lead-free production and a substantial gain in
winning premium solar power output, the new panel marks a major
panels for residential advancement of the multiple award-winning REC
and commercial rooftop Alpha launched in 2019. The REC Alpha Pure Black
installations. will start production in June 2021 at REC’s fully
automated manufacturing facility in Singapore,
The latest REC TwinPeak with first deliveries expected in July.
features a new cell
structure design and With one of the world’s most advanced cell
higher power output technologies, half-cut heterojunction cells in a
than its predecessor. gapless layout, the REC Alpha Pure Black delivers
up to 405 Wp. At 219 W/m2, the panel offers one of
The REC TwinPeak the highest power densities on the market, helping
4 Series went into homeowners and businesses benefit from optimum
production in May 2021 use of space and even higher savings on energy
with deliveries estimated bills. The REC Alpha Pure Black is based on REC’s
to start from July/August Twin Design and the patented split cell and junction
onwards. box technology that has already been proven in REC
The new REC TwinPeak The REC TwinPeak 4.
solar panels, including the original Alpha Series.
4 improves on the The new REC Alpha Pure Black Series is eligible
strengths that have made the TwinPeak family a success, for the premium REC ProTrust warranty package,
including REC’s pioneering Twin Design, which has won which offers up to 25 years coverage on product,
multiple awards since its introduction back in 2014. performance and labour (subject to conditions),
Available in both white and black backsheet variants, with guaranteed power of at least 92% in Year 25
the REC TwinPeak 4 Series features a newly designed cell of operation. Thanks to a temperature coefficient
structure, multi-busbar connection, as well as improved of -0.26 %/°C, the REC Alpha Pure Black offers
nominal power output of up to 375 watt-peak from its good performance in both mild and hot conditions.
120 half-cut monocrystalline p-type cells. A strong frame gives extra protection against
extreme weather events and allows the REC Alpha
With the same 30 mm frame and support bars already to withstand snow loads of 7000 Pa.
proven in the REC N-Peak and REC Alpha solar panels,
the latest REC TwinPeak can now withstand higher The REC Alpha Pure Black Series marks an important
advancement in sustainability. REC has eliminated
loads of +7000 Pa, enabling it to offer best-in-class
lead from all panel components, including cell
performance in tough rooftop conditions.
connections, cross connectors and junction
“The REC TwinPeak 4 marks the latest advancement in box soldering. This means the panel meets the
technology and performance for our TwinPeak family, European RoHS regulation.
and strengthens the entire REC Group portfolio by giving
more options to our rooftop customers, be it in the
residential or commercial and industrial segments”, said
Cemil Seber, Vice President Global Marketing & Product The REC TwinPeak 4 Series is eligible for the
Management at REC Group. comprehensive REC ProTrust warranty package, including
a 25-year warranty on the product, performance and
Launched in 2014, the first REC TwinPeak generation was labour, subject to conditions. In addition, the new solar
the first product to feature REC’s patented split cell and panel comes with an improved power warranty of
junction box technology. It won the prestigious Intersolar just 2% maximum power degradation in the first year
Award 2015. Each successive generation has been an of operation and 0.5% per year thereafter until Year
improvement, thereby adding to the popularity of the 25, making the REC TwinPeak 4 Series an even more
REC TwinPeak solar panels. attractive choice.

June 2021
SIEMENS LAUNCHES
FAST CHARGING DC ELECTRIC CHARGERS IN ASIA PACIFIC
Siemens has launched SICHARGE D, a public, fast- according to market demands as the option to expand
charging and high-powered, compact, electric vehicle the charger with up to two external dispensers to charge
charger (IEC standard), providing what the company says up to five cars in parallel will be possible in the future.
is one of the highest peak efficiencies on the market. It The standard configuration will have two DC outlets and
has scalable charging power and dynamic power sharing. one AC outlet housed in a compact design to optimise
It is suited for highway and urban charging stations, city parking spaces.
parking as well as shopping malls.
The new charger combines all these features with
“Public fast charging networks are an essential factor in dynamic parallel charging. That means, it accounts for
driving a sustainable future in e-mobility in Asia Pacific. the individual power demand of each connected car
By ensuring that charging is as effortless and as fast as and automatically adapts the charging process to the
people need it to be, we are making electric vehicles a electric vehicle's battery technology and charging status.
viable option for more people. In addition, the SICHARGE This optimises charging time as the connected cars get
D’s upgradeable and scalable fast charging technologies the maximum power they need without any additional
allow e-charging service providers and electric vehicle manual intervention.
users to expand their investments step-by-step”, said
To ensure maximum uptime and highest availability
Siddhant Gupta, Head of Future Grid for Siemens in Asia
of the charger, digital connected services are included
Pacific.
in individual service contracts with customers. These
Featuring advanced technology, this smart charger services range from preventive and corrective maintenance,
won the iF DESIGN Award 2021 in the categories of remote firmware updates, spare parts support, as well as
User Interface (UI) and Service Design. For an improved consulting and training.
user experience, an integrated 24-inch adjustable
display allows SICHARGE D to be operated barrier-free
and opens new opportunities for customers to use
this flexible screen for tasks beyond interfacing with
the charging process, such as digital menu boards,
information kiosks or outdoor advertising.
The sleek and compact SICHARGE D has scalable
charging power, from 160 kW up to 300 kW, either
from the start or through plug-and-play upgrades.
Furthermore, the charger supports voltages between 150
V and 1,000 V, and currents of up to 1,000 A across all DC
outlets. This enables full power loads for future vehicles
as well as the lower voltage charging rates demanded
by today’s mainstream vehicles. Additionally, SICHARGE
D can be configured with either a CCS2 (Combined
Charging System) or a CHAdeMO connector cable with
varying capacities of up to 400 A or a 500 A liquid-cooled
system.
The SICHARGE D vehicle charger has a compact design.
With a constant efficiency of above 95.5% and a peak
efficiency of 96%, the new SICHARGE D ensures that
almost all the generated electricity reaches the car to
be charged. For charging service providers and electric
vehicle users, this means reduced operational costs. In
addition, the charger allows an easy upgrade of charging
power to meet future technological developments: Even
if the charging capacities of most electric vehicles are still
limited today, they will be able to accept higher charging
power in the future and demand higher voltage ranges.
Although the number of electric vehicles is growing,
today's investments in infrastructure are challenging.
With SICHARGE D, charging service providers and electric
The fast charging SICHARGE D helps to make electric vehicles a viable
vehicle users will be able to time their investments option for more people.

June 2021
ACHIEVING ENERGY AND COST SAVINGS

WITH OPTIMISED EFFICIENCY
Pumps account for a large portion of the electricity Recent installations
consumed especially in the industrial and commercial Grundfos’ E-Motors and iSOLUTIONS have helped many
sectors. customers from around the world to conserve water and
Grundfos, a leading international manufacturer of pumps energy, and thereby reduce their costs and carbon emissios
and pump equipment, has several decades of experience At Grant’s distilleries in the UK, Grundfos replaced the
in building electronic controlled pumps (E-pumps). The fixed-speed CR pumps for boiler feed on four steam
company has been manufacturing its own motors with boilers with a steam capacity from 12.5 tons to 30 tons
integrated frequency converters with energy-saving and and with a steam pressure of 10 bar, with Grundfos
speed control functionality, for domestic, commercial, iSOLUTIONS CRIE15-8 pumps with MGE motors.
and industrial pump applications.
The modulating valve from the boiler was also removed.
Grundfos’ E-pumps with integrated frequency converter The CRIE pump controls the level in the steam boilers, with
are designed with total control, customer convenience, the speed going up and down, depending on demand.
and environmental sustainability, in mind. Grundfos’
MGE E-motors exceeds the IE5 requirements. At the same time, the Grundfos pumps use built-in
functions in the drive, specifically, limit-exceed and signal
High efficiency E-pumps with IE5 motors contribute relay output, to control a bypass valve to secure flow
substantially to energy savings and reduced CO2 through the economiser when the burner is running but
footprint. the boiler is not calling for water. All control is handled
Further, the in-built application control in MGE E-Motors by the drive at exactly the right time to ensure a safe and
also optimises the performance and efficiency of the efficient boiler operation and reduce complexity. The
entire system. outcome has been a 40% energy saving on one pump
alone, which equates to about 5.000 GBP a year. On top
These permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) of that a 6 % saving on the gas usage for the boiler is
are designed especially for frequency converter operations achieved, as a result of the more stable level control.
and optimised for pump applications and high part-load
efficiency. The motor PMSM also has a built-in frequency
converter that enables variable-speed operation with
benefits in pump applications, ranging from energy
savings, process control, extra functionalities, built-in
motor protection, higher performance and more compact
pumps, reduced water hammer due to long ramp times
and low starting currents.
This results in lower energy and lifecycle costs. Adjusting
the speed of the pump, based on demand, rather than
throttling the system flow with a valve, also results in
the elimination of excess pressure that causes stress in
the system and noise in the valve due to cavitation, and
reduced power consumption due to lower pump speed. Grundfos’ E-Pump and E-Motor
Grundfos’ MGE E-Motors are currently utilised in a wide

range of its pumps.
Optimising the entire system

Grundfos iSOLUTIONS brings intelligence to pump systems
and water technology, with solutions that look beyond
individual components and optimise the entire system.
Grundfos iSOLUTIONS utilises intelligent pumps, cloud
connectivity and digital services. Together, they enable
real-time monitoring, remote control, fault prediction and
system optimisation, to enhance performance. They allow
easy integration of pumps, drives, measurement, controls,
protections, and communication, saving on valuable Grundfos’ E-Motors and iSOLUTIONS have helped Grant’s distilleries in
engineering, installation and commissioning time. the UK to reduce energy consumption and gas usage.

June 2021
DE NORA LAUNCHES
ON-SITE CHLORINE GENERATION SYSTEM
De Nora, a leader in electrochemistry and water The new and improved CECHLO-MS 200
disinfection and filtration, has announced the launch of The De Nora CECHLO-MS-200 system generates on-
the CECHLO-MS 200, a high-strength on-site chlorine site high strength sodium hypochlorite at 12% and/or
generation system aimed at tackling water and sewage chlorine gas in a ‘plug and play’ configuration that safely
treatment challenges. produces chlorine on site.
The CECHLO-MS 200 system uses proven ion exchange At the heart of the CECHLO-MS 200 system is the
membrane (IEM) technology to produce a powerful efficient, proprietary Ion Exchange Membrane (IEM)
chlorine-based solution, from salt and water, with the electrolyser which has been continuously optimised
help of electricity. through innovative upgrades, powered by proprietary De
The system ensures on-time, on-demand supply of Nora DSA electrodes.
chlorine on site, improving safety, mitigating concerns on “Modern-day challenges of water treatment are
storage, securing availability and minimising life cycle cost. becoming more complex globally, and there is
“The CECHLO-MS 200 is the latest generator in the De Nora increasing demand to rise to these challenges with
CECHLO-MS systems product family, Unlike other solutions technology. The new De Nora CECHLO-MS 200 system
available in the market, the CECHLO-MS 200 system utilises our proprietary technologies to help our
offers unique advantages thanks to its optimised and customers to achieve a balance of safety, reliability,
standardised design - customers benefit from simple and cost efficiency, and sustainability in water treatment",
quick installation, easy operation and maintenance and a said Mr Nesicolaci.
faster turnaround on projects”, said Mr Marwan Nesicolaci, “The team at De Nora continues to deliver innovative
General Manager, Asia Hub of De Nora Water Technologies. solutions that support safe and cost-effective water
“CECHLO technology gives our customers the flexibility access for businesses and individuals, and we look
to choose from on-site generation of chlorine gas or forward to our continued working partnerships with
hypochlorite solution, which are both proven effective water providers globally”, Mr Nesicolaci continued.
and economical for water disinfection applications”,
he added. Regional and global successes
This new product launch continues De Nora successes
Responding to modern water and sewage and partnerships in the region.
treatment challenges It comes on the back of ground-breaking solutions
In an environment with ever-tightening regulations, integrating both its CECHLO-MS on-site generation
water and sewage treatment plants have been system and CAPITAL CONTROLS safe gas feed system to
increasingly challenged to build treatment processes produce and feed chlorine gas and hypochlorite.
and plants that offer regulatory compliance, self-
sustainability, safe operation, value economics and This hybrid solution was implemented by Hong Kong’s
environment-friendly solutions. Water Supplies Department (WSD). De Nora delivered
its products to several water treatment locations,
The CECHLO-MS on-site chlorine generation system with a combined design capacity of 8.46 tons/day of
was developed, based on De Nora’s expertise in chlorine.
electrochemistry combined with a deep experience of
This solution is a response to safety concerns around the
complex water treatment applications.
transportation and storage of large amounts of liquid
The high-strength system allows plant operators to build chlorine containers in waterworks located in highly
a self-sustainable and reliable supply chain of chlorine, populated areas, and for these waterworks to include
eliminating the safety risks associated with delivering self-sustainable water treatment designs.
and storing large amounts of chlorine, especially in
All systems are scheduled to be operational across the
populated areas.
water treatment plants by 2022.
It also allows plants to optimise operation cost and improve
De Nora is recognised for nearly 100 years of expertise and
sustainability to address the modern-day challenges. dedication in the field of electrochemistry, with over 400
Many centralised water treatment plants today have installations worldwide, producing more than 20 million
either installed or are considering the adoption of this tons of chlorine every year with CECHLO technology.
safe, reliable and cost-effective solution to solve all De Nora electrodes and technologies account for 80% of
their needs, while meeting increasingly strict safety the worldwide chlorine production.
regulations.

June 2021
IES UPDATE
IES ANNUAL GENERAL

MEETING 2021
The IES 55th Electronic Annual General Meeting (e-AGM) Mr Dennis Tan, the Honorary Treasurer, then delivered
took place on 29 May 2021 over Zoom, in view of his report on IES’ financial performance for the year.
restrictions due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It
Following this, the voting results of several constitutional
was attended by more than 160 members.
amendments were tallied and reported. This time, e-voting
Dr Richard Kwok, the 28th IES President, began by was conducted before the e-AGM to ensure a smoother
reporting on the key activities that happened in the process that would not be affected by any technical
past year, with the members, engineering community, problems that could occur on the day of the meeting.
industry, society, and nation in mind. The aim of these amendments were to grant Associate
For members, this included a 50 per cent discount on Members representation on the Council, as part of our
membership fees and waiver of PDU requirements drive towards greater inclusivity, and also to officially confer
for the year, and a face mask distribution exercise. emeritus status on our former presidents, in honour of their
Community efforts were aimed towards expanding the service to IES and the engineering community.
Chartered Engineer programme, launching
the Chartered Technologist and Technician
Accreditation scheme, embarking on a
repositioning project, the reorganisation of
the Council into five core functional groups,
and the growth of IES-INCA.
IES championed a few initiatives to support
the industry as well, such as launching
the Singapore Railway Standards, and
the signing of three MOUs in Artificial
Intelligence to stimulate engineering
advancements in this field.
Dr Kwok then spoke about National
Engineers Day (NED) 2020, which went
virtual to continue engaging students and
kindle their passion for engineering, despite
the challenges faced during the pandemic.
He reported that NED would continue in the
same format this year, and invited members
to step forward to mentor the participants The IES 55th e-AGM was held over Zoom in view of pandemic restrictions that were
for this year’s Engineering Innovation in place.
Challenge.
Another major activity was the Charles Rudd
Distinguished Public Lectures that took place
in the middle of May. The webinar saw some
1,800 participants log in from Singapore
and around the world to learn more about
sustainability and its impact on our future
lives.
This, coupled with the IES-YC Wong Project
Management Scholarship, were part of IES’
efforts to enlighten society and nurture
future talents.
Together with the formation of a new
Technical Committee on Climate Change,
and the second run of the Global Engineers
Leadership Programme, Dr Kwok opined
that all the achievements in 2020 were a
big step towards IES’ long term vision of
advancing engineering for the betterment of The IES Council Session for 2021/2022, correct as at 29 May 2021.
mankind.

June 2021
IN MEMORIAM
ALFRED JOSEPH GABRIEL

FOUNDING MEMBER, FORMER IES VICE PRESIDENT
AND COUNCIL MEMBER
Mr Alfred Joseph Gabriel FIES, a Founding Member of the Institution, passed away
peacefully on 9 June 2021. He was 102.
He helped guide IES in its formative years, serving in a number of positions between 1966
and 1974: Council Member (1966 – 1968, 1969 – 1971), Honorary Treasurer (1968 – 1969,
1971 – 1972), and Vice President (1972 – 1974).
Mr Gabriel joined the Singapore City Council in 1954 as an electrical engineer, and retired
from PUB (which took over the provision of public utilities from the City Council) in 1973.
IES was an organisation very dear to Mr Gabriel’s heart and he will be fondly missed by its
members.
The President, Council and Secretariat are deeply saddened by this news and express their
sincere condolences to his family.
REINFORCEMENT OF ENGINEERING CAPACITIES IS CRUCIAL

TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Despite high demand for engineering, a global effort is in achieving each of the 17 SDGs, and explains why it is
needed to address specific regional disparities, especially crucial to engage the engineering profession.
in Africa, according to the second UNESCO Engineering
Report, ‘Engineering for Sustainable Development: Deliv- The report also demonstrates how engineering inno-
ering on the Sustainable Development Goals’, released to vations and new technologies, especially those using
mark the World Engineering Day for Sustainable Develop- information and communication technologies and data,
ment, celebrated on 4 March 2021. are transforming our world for the better. Most impor-
tantly, it demonstrates how engineering is vital to solving
The report points to currently insufficient engineering the critical issues of today, including climate change,
capacities to achieve the internationally agreed Sustain- urbanisation and preserving the health of our oceans and
able Development Goals (SDGs), and highlights the lack of forests, for example.
diversity in the field. It demonstrates how equal oppor-
tunity for all is key to ensuring an inclusive and gender ‘Engineering itself needs to transform to become more in-
balanced profession able to realise its full potential. novative, inclusive, cooperative and responsible’, accord-
ing to the report. A new paradigm for engineering is thus
“Engineering is one of the keys to the sustainable devel- urgently needed, one that bridges traditional divisions be-
opment of our societies, and to activate its full potential, tween disciplines and that is inter- and multi-disciplinary
the world needs more engineers and more equality”, said in its approach, enabling engineering to address complex
Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, UNESCO. issues such as climate change. Furthermore, engineers
need to understand and shoulder their social responsi-
The report further notes that ‘the unprecedented situa- bility by contributing to a more sustainable, resilient and
tion presented by the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed equitable world for all people.
the interconnected nature of societies and how scientific
innovations, through the effective implementation of The report was prepared in collaboration with the Chi-
engineering, can increase resilience’. nese Academy of Engineering; the International Centre
for Engineering Education (ICEE), based at Tsinghua
The report presents a snapshot of engineering innova- University; the World Federation of Engineering Orga-
tions and actions that are contributing to meeting the nizations (WFEO); and other international engineering
SDGs, with contributions from authors from every region organisations.
of the world. It highlights the crucial role of engineering
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
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June 2021
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THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, SINGAPORE

❑ AEROSPACE ❑ RAILWAY & ❑ PORT & MARINE

❑ ENERGY ❑ ENVIRONMENTAL ❑ SYSTEMS

❑ CHEMICAL & ❑ INFRASTRUCTURE ❑ ENGINEERING

*** Get your skills and competency Certified! ***

MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL 14

CHARTERED ENGINEER PROFILE

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 01

02 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

JTC AND SHELL TO EXPLORE THE DEVELOPMENT

OF A SOLAR FARM IN SEMAKAU

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 03

GLOBAL ENERGY INVESTMENTS

04 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

and provide investors with the long-term visibility they

iSWITCH ENERGY TO ENTER EV CHARGING MARKET

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 05

ENGIE AND JTC SIGN AGREEMENT ON AN UNDERGROUND

DISTRICT COOLING SYSTEM

06 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

DRIVING NET ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSITION

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 07

PUB APPOINTS SP SERVICES TO INSTALL SINGAPORE’S

FIRST 300,000 SMART WATER METERS

08 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

SP GROUP AWARDED BCA GRANT

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 09

ROCKWELL AUTOMATION OFFERS

10 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

JJ-LAPP PARTNERS WITH CLENERGY TO MAKE

SOLAR ENERGY ACCESSIBLE IN ASEAN

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 11

BENTLEY SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES

12 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

LEADING TRADE FAIR FOR DEBURRING TECHNOLOGY

AND PRECISION SURFACE FINISHING

The expert forum

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 13

SEMBCORP INDUSTRIES UNVEILS

Woodchip boiler plant in Singapore.

Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp) recently unveiled its

A LEADING PROVIDER OF SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

14 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

More renewables SEMBCORP INDUSTRIES

SEMBCORP GROWS RENEWABLE ENERGY PORTFOLIO

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 15

COOLING TOWER TECHNOLOGIES

16 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 17

AN ATTRACTIVE PATHWAY TOWARDS

A PURPOSEFUL CAREER IN ENGINEERING

Dr Sim holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Applied Chemistry) degree with

The Chartered Engineer accreditation scheme was initiated by IES.

18 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER 19

THE CHARTERED ENGINEER ACCREDITATION SCHEME

20 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

PUSHING PAST THE TIPPING POINT:

by Kumail Rashid, EV Charging Solutions Lead, Asia Pacific, ABB

* Get your skills and competency Certified! *