SP Group building Southeast Asia's first large-scale underground substation

SINGAPORE: SP Group is constructing Southeast Asia's first large-scale underground substation in Labrador, in a transfer to optimise area for city improvement in land-scarce Singapore, the utilities supplier mentioned on Tuesday (Apr 6).

Scheduled for completion in 2024, the substation will serve the electrical energy wants of close by cities equivalent to Alexandra, Clementi, Keppel, Pasir Panjang and the Science Park district.

By going underground, the Labrador substation will unencumber 3ha of prime land, equal to 4 soccer fields, mentioned SP Group in a information launch.

This will unencumber the area above the substation for a 34-storey improvement, mentioned group CEO Stanley Huang. The business constructing can be due for completion in 2024.

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This improvement is according to Singapore's city renewal plans and SP Group's personal United Nations Sustainable Improvement Objectives of making certain entry to "reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all" and constructing sustainable infrastructure, he mentioned.

Substations are a part of important infrastructure that energy houses, workplaces, industries and public companies, mentioned SP Group.

The Labrador substation will probably be a 230kv facility that may energy as much as eight cities - every the dimensions of Toa Payoh - when it is working at full capability, mentioned the corporate. 

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Constructing a substation underground is usually extra resource-intensive than constructing above-ground, and requires specialised engineering capacities, mentioned SP Group.

That is due to "complexities" in development and the necessity to use supplies and tools which might be appropriate for the subterranean surroundings, it mentioned.

For instance, detailed engineering research and appropriate development strategies are used to regulate the impression to surrounding buildings. Tools within the substation should even be of low fireplace danger, with cooling techniques put in to forestall warmth build-up.

Nevertheless, the long-term advantages of constructing substations underground outweigh the prices, mentioned SP Group.

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Except for optimising land assets for different functions, underground substations even have a decrease danger of being uncovered and broken. This can improve asset and community safety, mentioned the corporate.

"Leveraging our extensive experience in constructing the underground electricity cable tunnels that span across Singapore, we will be able to deal with the complexities of building this underground substation," mentioned Mr Huang.

With the expertise gathered from this mission, SP Group can discover the probabilities of housing extra substations underground, he added.

The constructing contract for the substation has been awarded to essential contractor Hyundai Engineering & Development.