Overview of the Environmental Technologies Industry in Singapore
Overview of the Market for Environmental Technologies Singapore
Summary:
Singapore’s pollution policy is a simple one with no distinction between national and local governments, the national government is responsible for all pollution control. Although hurt by the Asian financial crisis, Singapore has remained a stable and sensible base for business. The Singapore economy was up by 8% in 1997 and is projected to be up by 2-4% in 1998. Singapore’s overall market size was estimated to be $612 million in 1997.
Market:
The Singapore government has made importation into the country very intensive with a virtually duty free port with less than 5% of all imported goods taxed. Singapore has become home to several of the U.S. environmental companies’ Asia branch offices because of this fact. Singapore is also surrounded by countries whose needs in the environment are expected to grow at a high rate. The combination of geographic location, fully developed industry, and a technological infrastructure makes Singapore a very attractive regional base.
Under Singapore’s Green Plan, the country’s environmental policy, it envisioned a $1.9 billion investment to upgrade the sewage treatment andsolid waste management systems by the year 2000. This plan includes: reduction of waste volumes through waste minimization and recycling; reduction of the amount of land for sewage treatment; stricter emission standards, tougher vehicular emission controls. In 1995, Singapore government announced it will spend more than $4 billion on environmental infrastructure projects over the next five years.
Opportunity lies in the air pollution field due to both the haze problem from fires in the region and the government’s tightening of emission standards. The estimated market size for air pollution control equipment in 1998 was $391 million from US imports. This rate is estimated to grow by 25% for the next two years. The air pollution control equipment in most demand includes: scrubbers, bag filter collectors, and CBC alternatives and disposal.
Another pollutant problem that needs attention is water and waste water treatment. The Industrial water and wastewater equipment and services has been estimated for $407 million for 1998 with $163 million directing from US imports. The approximated growth rate for overall trade in this sector is 5-8% from 1999 to 2001. Sewage and wastewater management also offer great opportunities in Singapore. The Singapore government is planning to spend $700 million on municipal projects through the end of the decade. Other areas of interest in this sector include: filtering and purifying machinery and apparatus, technologies involving wastewater recycling and treatment, and modular wastewater treatment systems.
Other areas of environmental interest includewaste management because of limited land space. Singapore has been tapping into foreign expertise for technologies like hazardous and solid waste disposal, landfill space, and the building of incinerators. Consulting and engineering service are also another need of Singapore.
