Major Infrastructure Works

A total of $157 million was spent in FY 2018/ 2019 on major infrastructure works for public housing development programme. 64 infrastructure and road-related facilities projects in 20 towns were implemented on time to serve the BTO developments. The major areas of works are in the towns of Tampines North, Punggol North and Bidadari.

Land Reclamation Projects

HDB is the agent to Ministry of National Development (MND) to carry out land reclamation works. Ongoing land reclamation projects include the $1.03 billion contract for the Construction & Management of Staging Grounds & Infilling Works (Phase 1) and the $602 million contract for the Construction & Management of Staging Grounds & Infilling Works (Phase 2), which are scheduled to be completed by May 2020 and July 2023 respectively. On 24 August 2018, HDB called the tender for the Management of Staging Grounds & Infilling Works (Phase 3). The tender closed on 12 April 2019.

Other ongoing land reclamation projects include the $101 million contract for the Construction for Land Reclamation at Changi East, and the $1.23 billion contract for the Construction of Polder at Areas A & C of Pulau Tekong, which are scheduled to be completed in July 2019 and April 2022 respectively.

The Environmental Monitoring & Management Plan (EMMP) contracts supporting these land reclamation projects to monitor and ensure that the construction works will not cause any adverse impacts to the environment are ongoing.

National Strategic Stockpiles

Since 2016, MND has appointed HDB as the agent to carry out the infrastructure and development works related to the national strategic stockpiles.

HDB had completed the Aggregate Stockpile Release Application system which will strengthen our operational readiness by streamlining and automating the work processes. The national stockpile release exercise was successfully conducted in 1H 2018.

Solar Capacity

The solar capability building programme for public housing involves a wide-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) test-bedding in new and existing precincts. The test-bed will enable HDB to achieve various developmental objectives. These include conducting study on the performance of solar PV system based on different block configurations, geographical settings and technologies in a tropical setting; gathering and learning from its design and development; helping the industry build technical expertise and capability; and developing more cost-effective solar PV systems.

As the largest stakeholder in the installation of the solar PV system in Singapore, HDB has progressively rolled out the test bedding in both new and existing HDB precincts. To date, HDB has committed a total of about 230 MWp of Solar PV systems for some 4,500 public housing blocks across Singapore. Of these, more than 1,300 HDB blocks have been installed with solar PV systems so far.

Solar Leasing Model and the SolarNova programme

The solar leasing model is an enhancement of HDB’s solar capability building programme, and a continuation of HDB’s ongoing efforts to test-bed solar energy to promote sustainable development.

The solar leasing model involves leasing solar PV systems from private solar system developers who will design, finance, install, operate and maintain the solar PV systems. The solar PV developers will recover their cost from the solar energy sold and consumed by the Town Councils, at a preferential rate that is not higher than the retail electricity tariff rate. The solar leasing model has also been expanded to include implementation in projects such as HDB Greenprint @ Yuhua and Greenprint @ Teck Ghee.

The SolarNova programme was launched in 2014 to encourage government agencies to come together to harness solar energy to power their activities and to spur the growth of the solar industry in Singapore. The SolarNova programme aims to implement 350MWp of solar PV capacity across Singapore by 2020.

Taking the lead in the SolarNova programme, HDB aggregates solar PV demand from across the whole of government, and allows government agencies with solar PV demand to ride on its solar leasing tenders, thus achieving greater economies of scale and better discount rates of the prevailing tariff for solar energy purchased.

In 2015, HDB awarded the first SolarNova tender, which saw a solar PV capacity of 76 MWp spanning across 831 HDB blocks and 8 government agency sites. SolarNova Phase 2 was awarded in June 2017 and has a tender capacity of 40 MWp across 636 HDB blocks and 31 government agency sites. SolarNova Phase 3 was awarded in June 2018 and has a tender capacity of 39MWp from HDB across an estimated 848 HDB blocks and 11 MWp from 29 government agencies sites.

SolarNova Phase 4 tender was launched in December 2018 and has a capacity of 70MWp across more than 1,200 HDB blocks and 49 government agencies sites, making it the largest solar PV tender called by HDB thus far.

Subsidiary and Associated Companies

EM Services was formed in 1988 to offer estate management, engineering, contracts administration and project management services to Town Councils. HDB holds a 75% stake in the subsidiary, while Keppel Land Ltd holds the remaining 25% stake.

During the year, EM Services maintained its position as the largest managing agent for public housing in Singapore. It managed about 600,000 units of residential and commercial properties on behalf of Town Councils. The company provided essential maintenance and lift maintenance services to Town Councils, property management services to both private and Government agencies, and also housing agency services. In addition, it installed and upgraded lifts in various HDB housing estates under the Lift Upgrading Programme.

The total revenue and management fees of the company for 2018/ 2019 was $162 million.