Suez Environnement partners with Singapore PUB to jointly develop water technologies

French utility Suez Environnement has formed an alliance with Singapore’s national water agency, Public Utilities Board (PUB) to share expertise and jointly develop technologies for protecting water resources.

The parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which can be renewed for five years.

Suez and PUB will also co-ordinate to spread awareness about preservation of water resources among industrials and general population.

This MoU reinforces the partnership agreement signed by the parties in the previous month under which they have initiated three research projects on smart water and energy-efficient water technologies.

The firms intend to persuade behavioural changes among the people towards water conservation through the use of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), data analytics and customer engagement.

They will also implement a customised dashboard to enable integrated access to information for improved storm water management (INFLUXTM) in order to minimise floods and preserve natural habitat.

Through the research projects, Suez and PUB will also develop an energy-efficient wastewater treatment process to maximise energy production and lessen energy demands from the treatment process.

PUB chief executive and Singapore Environment and Water Industry Programme Office executive director Peter Ng said: "Today’s Singapore is not short of water only because we have used our imagination, researching and testing continuously, and exploiting technology to overcome our water challenges.

"PUB’s collaboration with Suez Environnement, which was just formalised, is the latest of our partnerships with like-minded agencies and companies around the world to advance water research and to ultimately enhance Singapore’s water security."

The French firm has also launched a digital approach which allows residents a user-friendly access to data through their TV and smartphones. The initiative, designed in cooperation with Technicolor is being tested in Singapore and is intended to water and energy consumption of the users.

Suez Environnement CEO Jean-Louis Chaussade said: "Suez Environnement is glad to work with PUB in the co-creation of sustainable water solutions.

"Singapore, apart from being the economic and business centre in South-East Asia, is also renowned for its rich experiences in water industry and strong commitment to sustainably managing its resources.

"As a consequence, Suez Environnement has chosen Singapore as its regional business hub with the opening of an Innovation Center, composed of 15 research scientists and engineers, to support, through innovation, projects development in Singapore.

"Strategically, this marks an important step for Suez Environnement’s further development in whole South-East Asia."

Singapore Economic Development Board chairman Dr Beh Swan Gin said: "We are pleased that SUEZ environnement has decided to locate its regional hub in Singapore, and also to conduct R&D for technologies that will address regional market needs. This decision is testament to the competitiveness of the water industry in Singapore."

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Image: PUB, Suez Environnement and EDB signing collaboration agreement. Photo: courtesy of PUB.