S-E Asia’s first giant underground substation is coming up
Singapore, Labrador Park: The facility being built by SP Group in Labrador spans an area the size of four football fields.
Image source: The Straits Times
Singapore, Labrador Park: The facility being built by SP Group in Labrador spans an area the size of four football fields.
Spanning some three hectares – the area of four football fields – South-east Asia’s first large-scale underground electrical substation is being constructed in Labrador, optimising space in land-scarce Singapore.
The underground substation will also be Singapore’s largest, and the land above it will be used for a 34-storey commercial development.
Both the substation and the commercial building at the site of the former Pasir Panjang Power District are due for completion in 2024, power company SP Group announced yesterday.
The company has awarded the main contract for the building of the 230 kV substation to Hyundai Engineering & Construction.
The project is in line with Singapore’s urban renewal plans and SP Group’s own goals of ensuring access to reliable, sustainable energy for all, and building sustainable infrastructure, said its group chief executive Stanley Huang.
SP Group said building a substation underground is typically more resource-intensive and requires specialised engineering capabilities.
Equipment in the substation must be of low fire risk, with cooling systems installed to prevent any heat build-up.
But the long-term benefits of building substations underground outweigh the costs, the utilities company said. “In addition to optimising land resources for other purposes, underground substations have a lower risk of being exposed and damaged.”
Source: The Straits Times