From today, homeowners can visit the new Keppel Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) Experience Centre at the Toa Payoh HDB Hub for a demonstration of the solutions offered.

Singapore, 30 September 2024 – The Housing & Development Board (HDB) has awarded Keppel Ltd.’s Infrastructure Division (Keppel) the chilled water supply contract to design, build, own and operate Centralised Cooling Systems (CCS) at three upcoming Build-to-Order (BTO) projects Brickland Weave, Plantation Edge I & II and Plantation Verge in Tengah. This contract is for a period of 20 years and will serve approximately 3,500 households across the three HDB projects.  

Mr Tan Meng Dui, CEO of HDB said, “Being the master developer of public housing in Singapore, we constantly strive to build quality and sustainable homes for Singaporeans. We are glad to welcome a well-established player like Keppel on board as a CCS service provider for future BTO projects. With more market players participating in the provision of CCS services in a public housing setting, we hope to further strengthen the industry’s capabilities and deepen the CCS ecosystem, to make HDB living highly liveable and sustainable.”

Ms Cindy Lim, CEO of Keppel’s Infrastructure Division said, “Keppel is pleased to be awarded the contract to provide cooling services to these three latest precincts in Tengah. With more than two decades of track record serving the cooling needs of business parks, commercial offices, hotels and malls as well as mission-critical facilities, such as wafer fabs and data centres, Keppel is well-placed to work hand-in-hand with HDB to provide high-quality and modern cooling solutions to homeowners.”

As the pioneer district cooling service provider in Singapore, Keppel has a combined cooling portfolio of more than 260,000 refrigeration tonnes in the region[1]. In 2023, it was awarded by Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority to design, build, own and operate a new large-scale district cooling plant for 30 years at Jurong Lake District. In addition, Keppel is also providing cooling services to renowned CapitaLand and Perennial Holdings flagship developments in Singapore and China and mission-critical functions such as Micron’s semiconductor fabrication plants. Keppel will be implementing CCS at the selected housing projects in Tengah to deliver better energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption compared to conventional air conditioning split unit systems, by aggregating cooling demand and delivering it via a centralised chilled water system.

Leveraging its track record and expertise, Keppel will work with HDB on the delivery of CCS to each home (refer to Annex A for more details). Keppel will be incorporating innovative engineering and design features and utilising industrial grade materials to achieve industry standard performance, durability, as well as to take into account aesthetic considerations. When completed, the CCS at the three BTO projects will be connected to Keppel’s state-of-the-art Operations Nerve Centre (ONC) for remote control and real-time performance monitoring.

From today, homeowners can visit the new Keppel EaaS Experience Centre at HDB Hub in Toa Payoh to learn more about CCS and Keppel’s engineering and purpose-built designs in a physical mock-up of a typical home unit. Homeowners may express their interest to sign up for CCS and book an appointment slot to visit the new Experience Centre via Keppel EaaS’ website at https://www.keppeleaas.com/.

The abovementioned contract is not expected to have any material impact on the earnings per share and net tangible asset per share of Keppel Ltd. for the current financial year.

Annex A – HDB and Keppel’s roles in CCS

As the master developer of public housing in Singapore, HDB plays a key role in supporting the nation’s commitment to sustainable development. Tengah is Singapore’s first and largest smart and sustainable HDB town, planned with green and sustainable features, and smart technologies from the outset.

HDB homebuyers in Tengah have the option of subscribing to the Centralised Cooling System (CCS), which offers a more energy-efficient cooling solution as compared to conventional air-conditioning systems. With the CCS, chilled water will be piped to homes from centralised chillers installed on the rooftops of selected HDB blocks, to cool the flats.

As the developer of the public housing project, HDB focuses on building matters such as project planning, preparation, and construction of the BTO projects, including scheduling various works to facilitate the installation, testing, and commissioning of the CCS. This allows service providers, like Keppel, to deliver cooling services to flat buyers in Tengah town.

Together with the CCS service provider, HDB designs and provides CCS-ready infrastructure in the projects. This includes strengthened roofs and electrical provision for the CCS plant, and risers and common areas for the chilled water pipes. For residents who choose not to opt-in for the CCS and prefer their own air-conditioning system, HDB has also made provisions for air-conditioner ledges in all flats in Tengah.

HDB also facilitates the CCS installation works carried out by Keppel and coordinates the building schedule between the building contractor and Keppel. HDB and its building consultants work closely with Keppel to determine the optimal routing of the chilled water pipes within the precincts and within each dwelling unit.

Keppel, on the other hand, manages the sign-ups, design, installation, project management, operation, and maintenance of the CCS. This includes marketing the CCS and handling contractual arrangements with residents, which are commercial matters and relate to individual preferences for cooling their units. HDB is not a party to Keppel’s contractual agreement with the subscribers.

HDB will support Keppel to ensure that the roll-out of CCS in the three BTO projects within Tengah proceeds as smoothly as possible.

About Housing & Development Board

The Housing & Development Board (HDB) is Singapore's public housing authority. We plan and develop Singapore's housing estates; building homes and transforming towns to create a quality living environment for all. We also provide various commercial, recreational, and social amenities in our towns for our residents’ convenience. Today, more than 1 million flats have been completed in 24 towns and 3 estates across Singapore. HDB flats are home to about 80% of Singapore's resident population, of which about 90% own their homes. For more information, please visit http://www.hdb.gov.sg.

About Keppel

Keppel Ltd. (SGX:BN4) is a global asset manager and operator with strong expertise in sustainability-related solutions spanning the areas of infrastructure, real estate and connectivity. Headquartered in Singapore, Keppel operates in more than 20 countries worldwide, providing critical infrastructure and services for renewables, clean energy, decarbonisation, sustainable urban renewal and digital connectivity. Keppel creates value for investors and stakeholders through its quality investment platforms and diverse asset portfolios, including private funds and listed real estate and business trusts.

[1] Including assets under development.