Consumption_Water Average consumption of Water (CuM) Premises Types Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24 Apr-24 May-24 Jun-24 Jul-24 Aug-24 Sep-24 Oct-24 Nov-24 Dec-24 HDB 1-Room 7.8 8.0 8.3 8.4 8.1 7.7 7.5 8.1 8.3 7.9 8.1 7.8 HDB 2-Room 9.3 9.3 9.7 10.0 9.5 8.7 8.7 9.4 9.5 9.2 9.3 9.0 HDB 3-Room 12.0 12.2 12.8 12.9 12.0 11.5 11.6 12.4 12.5 12.2 12.2 12.0 HDB 4-Room 15.0 15.5 16.2 16.3 15.3 14.7 14.6 15.6 15.7 15.3 15.5 15.1 HDB 5-Room 16.1 16.7 17.8 17.7 16.7 16.0 15.6 16.9 17.1 16.7 17.0 16.4 HDB Executive 18.1 18.8 19.9 19.7 18.6 17.7 17.7 18.8 19.1 18.5 18.8 18.1 Apartment 12.8 13.1 14.4 14.3 13.2 12.7 12.5 13.1 13.8 13.8 13.8 13.3 Terrace 24.3 25.8 28.0 28.4 24.2 24.1 24.7 25.7 26.7 25.9 26.2 25.6 Semi-Detached 30.0 30.7 34.9 34.6 30.2 28.3 30.0 31.5 33.4 31.4 32.2 30.9 Bungalow 49.4 46.3 59.5 58.1 50.4 42.1 49.6 48.1 54.7 52.4 52.4 50.2

Media Release SP Group Partners Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City To Provide District Cooling, Heating & Energy Saving Solutions Singapore & China, 18 November 2019 – SP Group (SP) today announced its partnership with the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City Investment and Development Co. Ltd (GKC Co). The objective is to provide district cooling and heating, and smart and clean energy solutions at the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (CSGKC). GKC Co is a 50-50 joint venture company established by the Guangzhou Development District Administrative Committee and CapitaLand. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by SP Group and GKC Co at the 10th SingaporeGuangdong Collaboration Council (SGCC) meeting, co-chaired by Mr. Ma Xingrui, Guangdong Governor and Mr. Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education, Singapore, and supported by Enterprise Singapore. The implementation of the district cooling and heating networks, and other sustainable energy solutions such as solar, energy storage, energy efficiency and integrated energy management systems will enable CSGKC to enjoy substantial energy and cost savings. This will translate to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future for CSGKC and for Guangzhou city. Mr Wong Kim Yin, Group Chief Executive Officer of SP Group said: “We are privileged to partner the Guangzhou government and CapitaLand and contribute to the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City project. SP Group is committed to providing customers innovative, sustainable solutions to save energy and reduce cost. Our experience with Raffles City Chongqing and Singapore’s Marina Bay has demonstrated that our technology and operations can help customers achieve 50 per cent energy and cost savings and reduce carbon emissions. At the same time, we enhance reliability and enable customers to enjoy a high-quality sustainable lifestyle.” In September this year, Raffles City Chongqing, where SP Group operates its advanced energyefficient cooling and heating system, commenced operations. SP’s cooling operations enable Raffles City Chongqing to achieve up to 50 per cent savings in energy consumption, compared to conventional building chiller plants. SP designed and operates the world’s largest underground district cooling system at Singapore’s Marina Bay Financial district. Besides achieving substantial energy efficiency, the Marina Bay district cooling network achieved 100% reliability for 13 consecutive years, since it commenced operations in 2006. -Ends- Notes to Editor About SP Group SP Group is a leading energy utilities group in the Asia Pacific. It owns and operates electricity and gas transmission and distribution businesses in Singapore and Australia, and district cooling businesses in Singapore and China. SP Group is committed to providing customers with reliable and efficient energy utilities services. About 1.5 million industrial, commercial and residential customers in Singapore benefit from SP Group’s world-class transmission, distribution and market support services. These networks are amongst the most reliable and cost-effective world-wide. SP Group also drives digital solutions to empower customers to manage their utilities, reduce consumption and save cost. For more information, please visit spgroup.com.sg or follow us on Facebook at fb.com/SPGroupSG and on Twitter @SPGroupSG.

Consumption_Water Average consumption of Water (CuM) Premises Types Aug-24 Sep-24 Oct-24 Nov-24 Dec-24 Jan-25 Feb-25 Mar-25 Apr-25 May-25 Jun-25 Jul-25 HDB 1-Room 8.1 8.3 7.9 8.1 7.8 7.8 7.8 7.2 7.8 7.8 8.1 7.8 HDB 2-Room 9.4 9.5 9.2 9.3 9.0 9.0 9.1 8.4 9.0 9.0 9.1 9.0 HDB 3-Room 12.4 12.5 12.2 12.2 12.0 11.9 12.0 11.2 12.0 12.0 12.1 11.8 HDB 4-Room 15.6 15.7 15.3 15.5 15.1 14.9 15.2 14.3 15.3 15.1 15.4 14.9 HDB 5-Room 16.9 17.1 16.7 17.0 16.4 16.1 16.7 15.8 16.8 16.5 16.8 16.2 HDB Executive 18.8 19.1 18.5 18.8 18.1 17.9 18.7 17.8 18.8 18.4 18.7 18.2 Apartment 13.1 13.8 13.8 13.8 13.3 12.8 13.0 12.7 13.7 13.5 13.4 12.8 Terrace 25.7 26.7 25.9 26.2 25.6 24.7 25.7 24.7 25.7 25.1 25.6 25.1 Semi-Detached 31.5 33.4 31.4 32.2 30.9 30.4 30.6 29.8 31.0 30.4 30.9 30.5 Bungalow 48.1 54.7 52.4 52.4 50.2 49.8 49.4 48.6 51.5 48.4 49.7 49.3

Consumption_Gas Average consumption of Gas (kWh) Premises Types Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24 Apr-24 May-24 Jun-24 Jul-24 Aug-24 Sep-24 Oct-24 HDB 1-Room 35 36 38 38 37 38 35 34 33 35 35 34 HDB 2-Room 36 36 37 38 38 40 37 34 34 36 36 34 HDB 3-Room 51 49 50 52 53 56 50 48 47 51 51 49 HDB 4-Room 62 61 61 64 66 69 62 58 58 62 63 61 HDB 5-Room 69 67 65 70 73 77 68 64 63 69 70 68 HDB Executive 73 70 70 74 78 82 73 68 68 72 74 72 Apartment 85 83 85 91 94 93 80 76 77 82 86 88 Terrace 105 103 100 108 120 114 93 97 98 98 105 107 Semi-Detached 123 118 115 120 133 130 117 105 115 115 120 117 Bungalow 201 200 213 192 220 234 209 168 197 185 198 206

News Release SP DEVELOPS FUTURE ENERGY LEADERS THROUGH FIRST ENERGY MANAGERS PROGRAMME AND INDUSTRY SCHOLARSHIPS Singapore, 2 November 2018 – Singapore Institute of Power and Gas (SIPG), as the centralised training institute for the power and gas sectors, announced today the successful completion of its first Energy Managers Programme (EMP). The pioneer cohort of 19 energy sector professionals was recognised in a ceremony during Singapore International Energy Week 2018, witnessed by Dr Tan Wu Meng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The programme, which is under the SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative, is designed to build a pipeline of strong leaders for the energy sector as they address issues and opportunities in today’s transforming and disruptive landscape. Building on its inaugural run, SIPG is opening its programme to participants from ASEAN utilities and other international companies in the energy value chain, curating a broader range of experiences, perspectives and real-world applications. Mr Peter Leong, Principal of SIPG, said, “We customised this programme to help energy industry managers hone their well-rounded leadership skills through blended learning in the classroom and field trips to companies in Singapore and overseas. They have personally benefitted from networking with peers from across the value chain. They have also gleaned insights on driving advancement and innovation amidst the rapid industry disruption, in order to serve all consumers better.” Spanning five months from February this year, the programme’s first participants were emerging leaders from generation companies and SP Group. Through workshops, dialogues with senior leaders from the energy sector and government, as well as a learning trip to China, the participants were exposed to pertinent challenges the industry faces, in Singapore and around the region. They also gained valuable insights from individual coaching sessions and working on action projects. Mr Neo Bing Hui, Senior Operations Engineer, YTL PowerSeraya Ltd, said, “The Energy Managers Programme (EMP) has helped broaden my views of the industry in general, providing a different perspective of how challenges can be viewed in the energy sector. After going through EMP, I have gleaned more insights on my leadership style and how I can effectively improve communication with my team mates. I am excited to start applying what I've learnt from this programme.” The pressing need to inspire the energy sector to groom the next generation of energy leaders is why the Energy Market Authority is supporting the programme. Its Chief Executive, Mr Ngiam Shih Chun, said: “For the energy sector to embrace new opportunities and challenges, there is a need to engage and develop tomorrow's energy leaders. They will need to be agile and adopt a growth mindset to lead their organisations forward. EMA supports SIPG in playing a crucial role in providing a programme to grow our future energy leaders.” Nurturing engineering talent In developing future engineering talent, SP Group also awarded two Energy-Industry Scholarships to students from institutions of higher learning – Ms Choo Wei Ming, 19, from Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Mr Muhammad Syahiran bin Jamal, 20, from Singapore Polytechnic. SP Group’s Chief Human Resource Officer, Mr Ng Seng Huwi, presented the scholarships to Wei Ming and Muhammad Syahiran, at a ceremony during the Youth@SIEW event earlier today. The scholarship serves to nurture talent for the energy sector and support students with a passion for engineering in achieving academic and career aspirations. They will join SP Group when they complete their studies. About SP Group SP Group is a leading energy utilities group in the Asia Pacific. It owns and operates electricity and gas transmission and distribution businesses in Singapore and Australia, and district cooling businesses in Singapore and China. SP Group is committed to providing customers with reliable and efficient energy utilities services. About 1.5 million industrial, commercial and residential customers in Singapore benefit from SP Group’s world-class transmission, distribution and market support services. These networks are amongst the most reliable and cost-effective world-wide. SP Group also drives digital solutions to empower customers to manage their utilities, reduce consumption and save cost. For more information, please visit spgroup.com.sg or for follow us on Facebook at fb.com/SPGroupSG and on Twitter @SPGroupSG.

Media Release Singapore’s largest industrial district cooling system begins operations to support STMicroelectronics’ decarbonisation strategy Designed, built, owned and operated by a joint venture between SP Group and Daikin Airconditioning (Singapore), the innovative district cooling system will significantly improve the environmental performance of ST’s high-volume semiconductor manufacturing site in Singapore New system expected to reduce carbon emissions by 120,000 tonnes per year, cooling-related electricity costs by 20 percent each year, and repurposing over half a million cubic meters of water consumption per year 21 October 2025, Geneva, Switzerland, and Singapore – STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, and SP Group (SP), a leading utilities group in the Asia Pacific and Singapore’s national grid operator, have commenced operations for Singapore’s largest industrial district cooling system at STMicroelectronics’ (ST) Ang Mo Kio TechnoPark. The event was inaugurated by Ms. Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. The system is expected to reduce carbon emissions by up to 120,000 tonnes per year and enable 20 per cent savings on cooling-related electricity consumption. It will also repurpose over half a million cubic meters of water each year by using reject reverse osmosis water, previously used in ST Cooling Towers, to support the new district cooling operations.  This marks ST’s first use of district cooling at a manufacturing facility and will strengthen ST’s commitment to be carbon neutral by 2027. “The deployment of Singapore’s largest industrial district cooling system at our Ang Mo Kio TechnoPark demonstrates our commitment to pioneering energy-efficient solutions that reduce carbon emissions and conserve resources. This achievement strengthens our partnership with Singapore in advancing its national sustainability goals, said Rajita D’Souza, President of Human Resources and Corporate Social Responsibility at STMicroelectronics. “By integrating advanced technologies like the district cooling system, we are driving a smarter, greener future — showcasing how industry leadership and environmental stewardship align to create lasting value for our business, communities, and the planet.” “SP Group’s strategic partnership with STMicroelectronics marks a pivotal milestone in our nation’s transition towards a low-carbon future. This project showcases how collaborative innovation can transform urban infrastructure to deliver sustainable, energy-efficient solutions. District cooling will continue to play a vital role in Singapore’s net-zero ambitions, enabling carbon emissions reduction and enhancing energy resilience across industrial and urban developments,” said Mr Stanley Huang, SP’s Group Chief Executive Officer.  Technical information about the district cooling system  Designed, built, owned, and operated by a joint venture between SP and Daikin Airconditioning (Singapore), the system has an installed capacity of up to 36,000 refrigeration tonnes (RT). It delivers continuous chilled water to cool both manufacturing and office spaces via a centralised closed-loop pipe network replacing individual chillers in each building. The total area served by the system is approximately 90,000 square metres. Chillers in series counterflow configuration reduce the energy required to cool the water. This ensures an efficient and reliable 24/7 operation, with remote monitoring capabilities augmenting the operations team on site to come. “This partnership with SP reflects Daikin’s commitment to delivering advanced, energy-efficient solutions that go beyond immediate operational needs. Our goal is to contribute to a more sustainable built environment, where technology plays a key role in enhancing resilience, reducing environmental impact, and supporting Singapore’s long-term climate ambitions,” said Mr Chua Ban Hong, Managing Director at Daikin Airconditioning (Singapore). Additionally, the new installations free up around 4,000 square metres of space at Ang Mo Kio TechnoPark, which will enable ST to install other equipment contributing to environmental impact mitigation. This includes perfluorocarbon (PFC) abatement equipment, with near-future plans for additional water reclamation systems and volatile organic compounds (VOC) abatement as part of its ongoing sustainability efforts. The project achieved over 2 million accident-free man hours, underscoring the commitment to safety during construction. The district cooling plant has been awarded the Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy certification by the Building and Construction Authority for its exceptional energy efficiency and sustainable design. Incorporating whole-life carbon assessments during design and construction of the plant also enabled a reduction of about 44 percent in embodied carbon compared to industrial building benchmarks, achieved through optimised material choices and system design to further lower the plant’s carbon footprint. Further collaboration between STMicroelectronics and SP Group To accelerate its decarbonisation roadmap, ST has also partnered with SP to upgrade the cooling system at its Toa Payoh site. Under a 20-year chilled-water-as-a-service agreement, SP will design, build, operate, and maintain a new high-efficiency chiller system, scheduled for completion by December 2025. The system will improve energy efficiency and aims to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 2,140 tonnes annually. In addition to sustainable cooling solutions, ST and SP are implementing a range of sustainable technologies across ST’s Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh campuses. This includes the deployment of the energy management information system (EMIS), comprising 2,400 smart electricity meters and multi-utility sensors. With SP’s smart metering infrastructure in place, ST can monitor its overall energy consumption – enabling data-driven decisions that enhance efficiency and sustainability. SP has also implemented smart water meters that track water inflow to five of ST’s buildings. This provides ST with an accurate view of its water consumption, allowing the organisation to enhance its critical wafer fabrication operations by ensuring greater water efficiency. Together, the partnership delivers on a shared vision for a smarter, cleaner energy future through integrated digitalisation and decarbonisation at scale.  

SP Energy HubAnnual ReportReliabilitySustainabilityInnovation SP and UOB facilitate credit cardholders’ carbon offset SUSTAINABILITY SP has partnered UOB to enable UOB EVOL cardholders to offset 100 per cent or more of their household electricity carbon emissions for free when they charge their SP bill payments to their credit card via a new exclusive feature jointly launched by SP and UOB. UOB will fund and contribute 2 per cent of the billed amount to purchase My Green Credits on the SP app on behalf of the customer. My Green Credits are "green credits" in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates. As part of the UOB EVOL Card My Green Credits launch, SP is supporting NParks' One Million Trees movement to plant more trees across Singapore by 2030 through the Garden City Fund's Plant-A-Tree programme. UOB and SP will plant 50 trees in April 2023. This brings Singapore closer to becoming a City in Nature, a key pillar of the Singapore Green Plan 2030. More details in the media release here. TAGS SUSTAINABILITY YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED TO READ SP Group expands sustainable energy operations in China with Chongqing Transport Hub project win STMicroelectronics enhances sustainability with chiller cooling system at Toa Payoh SP signs PPA with BASF for rooftop solar deployment

SP Energy HubAnnual ReportReliabilitySustainabilityInnovation Tampines Central to be powered by sustainable distributed district cooling SUSTAINABILITY Minister Masagos Zulkifli witnessing the supply agreement signing ceremony with the first batch of building owners to join the distributed district cooling network – CapitaLand, CPF Board, Frasers Property, NTUC Income, OCBC Bank, and People’s Association. Tampines will be Singapore’s first town centre to be retrofitted with an interconnected, sustainable cooling solution designed by SP Group.  Seven existing buildings across the town centre – Century Square, CPF Tampines Building, Income At Tampines Junction, OCBC Tampines Centre 2, Our Tampines Hub, Tampines Mall and Tampines One, will be retrofitted to plug into this novel distributed district cooling (DDC) network, which is specially engineered for brownfield developments to provide the same cooling comfort while saving energy and lowering carbon emissions at the same time. The network which will be completed and operational in the first half of 2025, will help Tampines reduce its carbon emissions by 1,359 tonnes annually, equivalent to removing 1,236 cars off our roads. It will also achieve energy savings of more than 2,800,000 kilowatt-hour (kWh) annually, which can power more than 905 three-room HDB households for a year. Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Adviser to Tampines GROs, Minister for Social and Family Development, Second Minister for Health and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, witnessed the signing of the supply agreements between SP Group and the building owners – CapitaLand, CPF Board, Frasers Property, NTUC Income, OCBC Bank, and People’s Association. The signing ceremony was held in conjunction with the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore and the Singapore International Water Week organised by the National Environment Agency and PUB respectively. Read more in the media release here. TAGS SUSTAINABILITY YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED TO READ SP Group expands sustainable energy operations in China with Chongqing Transport Hub project win STMicroelectronics enhances sustainability with chiller cooling system at Toa Payoh SP signs PPA with BASF for rooftop solar deployment

SP Energy HubAnnual ReportReliabilitySustainabilityInnovation Empowering talent RELIABILITY With a staff strength of more than 3,700, how do the People of SP stay connected and build a collaborative culture to achieve synergistic outcomes? We speak to Benjamin Festin, Vice President of Human Resource and Muhammad Ariff Bin Ramli, Technical Officer from Gas Operations at SP Group (SP). Benjamin describes how SP is constantly designing programmes for employees to grow and upskill, while Ariff shares how he feels empowered to assume greater responsibilities in his job role. What are your responsibilities at SP Group? Benjamin (B): I lead the talent development unit in the Human Resource department at SP. We are constantly on the lookout for people with diverse and unique skills who can contribute to the organisation’s rapid expansion locally and in the region. To build a strong and committed team, we ensure our workforce is equipped with current and future-ready capabilities, stay relevant and help groom our next generation of leaders. We invest in our staff’s professional growth, through training and development programmes. I also enjoy the role I double-hat in, as Chairman of the ReCharge Committee. Our team organises a range of activities to enhance and enrich staff well-being, such as sports, recreation, wellness and even our company’s Family Day! Ariff (A): I am part of the Gas Operations team that renews gas pipes for residential and commercial projects to ensure reliable gas supply for customers’ daily needs. We work closely with authorities and contractors, often completing projects within a tight timeline. An example would be a tunnelling project where we had to use a special digging machine at 30 meters beneath ground level to pave the way for laying of gas pipes. A key motivator for me is knowing that what I do impacts the daily lives of people in Singapore.   What’s one memorable work experience you’ve had? B: During the Covid-19 pandemic I was touched to witness the selflessness of our colleagues. They continued to carry out their work and endure long hours in hot protective gear to ensure critical services continue to be made available. I developed a newfound respect for our colleagues working on power grid services! Muhammad Ariff Bin Ramli (in yellow outfit), with contractors working on commissioning works during the pandemic. A: When most people could work from home during the pandemic to keep safe, our team and the contractors continued to expedite urgent gas renewal works. This was a particularly challenging as the daily rise in infection cases affected the number of workers available for work. Looking back, I am so proud we managed to push through during that period. What would you say to people considering a career at SP? Benjamin Festin (third from left) with the ReCharge committee at the SP Fun Walk 2023. B: It’s an exciting time to join us as we are expanding our presence in Singapore and the region. If you’re looking for a role that allows you to play a part in securing Singapore’s energy future, consider SP! We also play an active role in social and community service, with outreach programmes growing from strength to strength catering to seniors, kids and youth, that YOU can be part of. Ariff: We are always encouraged to upgrade ourselves with easy access to a variety of courses to prepare us for future challenges and demands. The team spirit is also high. It’s like working in a big family where we always have each other’s back! Find out more about our career opportunities here: spgrp.sg/3sbjyJ6 TAGS PEOPLE OF SPSUSTAINABILITYRELIABILITY YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED TO READ How this 'grid doctor' maintains the health of Singapore's electricity network so everything stays on Ground feedback, digital tools: How she helps 8,000 workers end their day safely Faster repairs, fewer disruptions: Meet the innovative teams using smart tech to keep your piped gas supply flowing

新 能 源 将 与 青 达 环 保 合 作 新 加 坡 能 源 集 团 ( S P Group) 将 与 青 岛 达 能 环 保 设 备 股 份 有 限 公 司 合 作 , 投 建 青 岛 胶 州 的 一 个 发 电 能 达 90 兆 瓦 (MW) 的 渔 光 互 补 项 目 。 这 是 中 国 山 东 首 个 光 伏 配 建 制 氢 项 目 , 也 是 青 岛 市 光 伏 重 点 示 范 项 目 。 “ 渔 光 互 补 ”(aquavoltaic 2024 年 5 月 24 日 星 期 五 财 经 21 投 建 山 东 首 个 绿 电 制 氢 项 目 farm) 指 的 是 将 传 统 渔 业 养 殖 与 新 能 源 光 伏 发 电 融 合 发 展 的 方 式 。 新 能 源 星 期 四 (5 月 23 日 ) 发 布 文 告 指 出 , 它 与 青 达 环 保 合 作 的 项 目 , 位 于 山 东 青 岛 胶 州 市 李 哥 庄 镇 毛 家 庄 村 东 , 将 利 用 180 亩 坑 塘 水 面 建 设 渔 光 互 补 及 制 氢 项 目 。 新 能 源 说 , 这 个 新 能 源 制 氢 项 目 将 让 低 碳 节 能 与 农 业 养 殖 有 机 结 合 , 大 力 推 动 该 地 区 生 态 资 源 的 绿 色 应 用 。 这 个 项 目 于 今 年 4 月 开 工 、 计 划 年 底 前 并 网 , 预 计 每 年 绿 电 发 电 量 达 1.6 亿 度 、 碳 排 放 降 低 16 万 吨 。 新 加 坡 能 源 集 团 中 国 区 总 裁 钟 志 明 指 出 , 公 司 这 次 联 手 当 地 领 先 的 环 保 技 术 型 企 业 青 达 环 保 , 希 望 可 以 灵 活 助 推 中 国 能 源 转 型 。 他 说 :“ 中 国 产 业 升 级 对 绿 色 能 源 拥 有 巨 大 需 求 , 而 不 同 地 域 所 对 应 的 资 源 和 挑 战 也 不 尽 相 同 。 新 加 坡 能 源 集 团 期 待 与 行 业 上 下 游 的 优 秀 伙 伴 协 同 发 展 , 将 集 团 丰 富 的 投 资 服 务 经 验 渗 透 到 可 再 生 能 源 的 更 多 领 域 。”

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2013 MONEY B11 One man demonstrated ‘outstanding leadership’ in searching for solutions to the energy sector’s manpower challenges, while an organisation made a sustained effort in promoting energy awareness among youth. Another organisation received special mention for rallying youth around energy causes. The Straits Times speaks to the inaugural winners of the Singapore Energy Award, which honours those who have made transformational changes in the energy sector, and finds out what fuels their passion. Energy Matters A series brought to you by the Energy Market Authority Powered by pure passion SINGAPORE Power’s (SP) senior adviser Quek Poh Huat lays the ground rules at the start of the interview. “This isn’t about me, okay? The Singapore Energy Award belongs to the company. I was just fortunate to be here to oversee all this,” says the 67-year-old, ironically also the inaugural winner of the Individual category of this year’s awards. Mr Quek was appointed a director of SP Ltd in 2001 and became the group chief executive of SP from May 2004. He stepped down in January last year but is still on the frontline of addressing the sector’s manpower crisis. He recently chaired the Power Sector Manpower Taskforce (PSMT) to develop recommendations for building manpower capabilities for Singapore’s power sector. The challenges it highlighted included the ageing technical workforce and the difficulty of attracting and retaining younger Singaporeans (see previous story). “At Singapore Power (SP), the average age of our workers is 43. And as the workforce ages, we need them to be replaced. We also want to ensure know-how is transferred,” he said. “Working in the power sector is not seen as easy. People think that they will have to deal with harsh working conditions – having to be in substations and being on the ground. “But these conditions aren’t always harsh. We also need to make people understand the opportunities.” Mr Quek is no stranger to challenging situations. When SP introduced integrated billing for power, water and waste removal over 2000 and 2001, a computer glitch meant some households did not receive a bill for a year, then got them all at once. “It took 12 months to correct the faults,” he recalls. “We had to work out instalment schemes. I even went to Parliament to explain to the MPs how to trickle down the information to their concerned constituents.” Mr Quek was also under heat when, in 2004, the country experienced two outages. The first, in April, lasted 59 minutes and knocked out electricity supply to about 80,000 homes. The second, in June, left 30 per cent of the island in the dark for close to two hours. “Since then, most of the outages have been minor. Touch wood!” he says. Despite being in the sector just nine years, Mr Quek’s list of contributions to it is long. Under his watch, SP has become one of the largest energy utility companies in the Asia Pacific with revenues of $8.97 billion in financial year 2012/2013. He has also been developing capabilities within the industry and addressing the sector’s talent crunch through a variety of measures, including cultivating a close relationship with the unions. His efforts earned him the NTUC May Day Award – Medal of Commendation (Gold) in May last year. Mr RKS Nachiappan, general-secretary of the Union of Power & Gas Employees, says Mr Quek put in place more frequent meetings – both formal and casual – to understand the challenges and issues. “He has a real soft spot for the low-income group, and knows training is the best way to help make their lives better,” Mr Nachiappan adds. In 2010, Mr Quek was heavily involved in implementing an industry-wide Work Skills Qualification (WSQ) System and even before re-employment of older workers was legislated, SP put such a scheme in place. Mr Quek also lent his support to bond-free scholarships for power workers and mooted the idea of the Singapore Power Heartware Fund to help the needy elderly in our community. “The three most important ENERGY WARRIORS Singapore Power’s senior adviser Quek Poh Huat with a mural of the Singapore night skyline behind him at the SP offices. The 67-year-old is the inaugural winner of the Individual category of the Singapore Energy Award. PHOTO: EDWARD TEO FOR THE STRAITS TIMES things in my life are family, friends and faith. I follow that when dealing with the union, staff, new recruits and retirees. We are a family, Singapore Power,” Mr Quek says. Now retired, Mr Quek’s focus will be on the Singapore Power Training Institute (SPTI). It currently conducts about 200 training sessions under 70 programmes annually covering areas such as electricity and gas network operations, business continuity management, and safety and power quality. His plan is to retain the expertise present in the industry by inviting retired power workers back to teach. He also sees room for Singapore to share what it knows with the region. “Singapore has invested so much and learnt hard lessons developing its know-how. This can A LOVE for Lego was what drew 22-year-old Rochelle Hung to the National University of Singapore’s student organisation Energy Carta. Earlier this year, Energy Carta organised an event called Changing the Game, which visualised energy usage through the use of Lego bricks. Ms Hung, a major in Project and Facility Management at NUS’ School of Design and Environment (SDE), heard about it through a department e-mail blast. A long-time lover of Lego, she signed up. “I was determined to understand more about the energy field, especially sustainability, and be able to plan the future that I want to be in, that is, one with smart and sustainable buildings,” she recalls. Ms Hung eventually became one of the student leaders of Energy Carta, which has earned a Special Mention Award in the Organisation category of the inaugural Singapore Energy Award. Energy Carta, which draws part of its name from the ancient historical document Magna Carta, or Latin for “great charter”, was founded by 30-year-old NUS alumnus Yujun Chean in 2008. The then final-year engineering student had been working with a Silicon Valley start-up and attending classes at Stanford University under a year-long NUS student programme, when he saw former US vice-president Al Gore deliver a landmark speech ahead of the screening of his documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Separately, he also attended a conference by a now-defunct Stanford organisation that convinced him students could make a difference. Back at NUS, it dawned on him that he could do something similar. “I penned down names of prominent individuals within the be packaged and exported,” he says. Also a priority is to ensure that Singapore continues “keeping the lights on”. Singaporeans experience an average of just 25 seconds of outage a year. “And there is just a 0.01 per cent chance of a blackout. That’s the best in the world,” he says, beaming. It is a long way to have come for a man who remembers running through back lanes barefoot, electric trams in Orchard Road and calling it a night when daylight ended. “The next 20 years will also be dramatically different from how it is now,” he said, adding that the priority is finding the people who can keep things humming while also handling areas like electric cars and smart grids. “We cannot afford to fail.” Senoko is on the cutting edge of various energy innovations, including adopting and testing electric vehicles. PHOTO: ELECTRIC VEHICLE TASKFORCE Undergrads’ ‘great charter’ for environment Youth organisation Energy Carta, founded by NUS alumnus Yujun Chean (front row, left) in 2008, is one of the three inaugural winners of the Singapore Energy Award. Energy Carta has raised more than $170,000 in sponsorships from corporations such as PowerSeraya, Chevron, Sembcorp, Singapore Airlines and UOL. PHOTO: YUJUN CHEAN, ENERGY CARTA clean-tech world,” he recalls. “I also tried to get my friends excited about creating a student-run conference as a final year project.” In the end, an event he thought would simply allow him to “leave school with a bang” ended up having a much greater impact. First, Professor Chou Siaw Kiang, executive director of the NUS Energy Studies Institute, encouraged him not to set up the organisation as a Stanford offshoot but as an independent Singapore-rooted organisation. Then, the Economic Development Board (EDB) threw in its support and the Energy Market Authority (EMA) agreed to make Energy Carta its youth partner at the inaugural Singapore International Energy Week in 2008. “This gave us a lot of credibility when we were pitching for support, speakers and funding, and accelerated our growth curve,” says Mr Chean. What resulted was the Asian Youth Energy Summit in 2008, which became the largest student-led energy conference in Singapore, attracting over 500 participants and featuring 30 industry speakers. The following year, Energy Carta added the Chevron Case Challenge, where 97 teams vied to develop the best 20-year energy plan for a fictional city. A year later, the winner of the Singapore round of the Cleantech Open Global Ideas Competition was flown to the United States for the global leg of the competition. Energy Carta has raised more than $170,000 in sponsorships from corporations such as PowerSeraya, Chevron, Sembcorp, Singapore Airlines and UOL. “These funds have enabled us to organise large-scale events, reaching well over a thousand participants,” says Mr Chean. “The belief is that while most people may not be intrinsically keen to solve climate change, they may indirectly do so by building a career in the sector, and Energy Carta aims to get them started on that path,” he explains. Senoko’s activities to engage the young IT IS a Saturday but one of Senoko Energy’s vice-presidents is at Woodgrove Secondary School helping staff to develop an education module for next year and exploring how the school can become more energy-efficient. Woodgrove Secondary is one of 18 schools that has been adopted by Singapore’s largest power generation company as part of the NEA Corporate and School Partnership Programme (Casp). Senoko offers the schools training attachments, plant tours and project sponsorship among other things, and Mr Kwong Kok Chan has made it his personal mission to work with them. “When I first started in 2004, I saw it as just part of my job. Now I can’t differentiate between work and personal interest,” says the 60-year-old, an engineering graduate from the University of Malaya. “The students treat me like an uncle, and I’ve also learnt from the way they see things. One Admiralty student even challenged me, asking why Singapore didn’t harness electricity from lightning. I had no idea what to say!” It is people like Mr Kwong that Senoko Energy president and chief executive officer Brendan Wauters credit for the company’s win in the Organisation category of the inaugural Singapore Energy Awards. “The award reflects the continued and consistent efforts we have put in over the past decade,” he says. “A lot of people like Mr Kwong are instrumental to what we have done. Mr Kwong loves to interact with students and their teachers. His passion is infectious.” But Casp is only one of many community outreach activities undertaken by Senoko, the only power generation company located in the north of Singapore. “Being in the north, we are closer to residential areas, so it important that we have a relationship with our neighbouring communities,” explains Mr Wauters. Senoko has also partnered with the PUB to adopt Sungei Sembawang and help make young people aware of the need for water conservation. In 2012, the company launched the Senoko Sustainability Challenge, which challenged students from primary schools to junior colleges to come up with solutions to environmental problems. “It aims to create awareness of the importance of sustainability in general and climate change in particular among the younger generation, who are ultimately the ones who can impact future outcomes the most,” says Mr Wauters. A total of 120 teams from 52 schools participated this year. Senoko, which started in 1975, has, through the years, delivered several firsts. In 1991, it became the first power generation company to import natural gas into Singapore from Malaysia. It was a landmark moment, representing the nation’s first step away from liquid fuel. Senoko was also the first to use combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) technology in 1995. Being able to fire with either natural gas or fuel oil or a mix of both translated into about 10 per cent in energy efficiency gains and cleaner emissions. Senoko was also the first company to take the 3R principles of reduce, reuse and recycle to a new level: Its “repowering” approach so far has resulted in a more than 40 per cent drop in carbon intensity over 1990 levels. Senoko is still on the cutting edge of other innovations, including adopting and testing electric vehicles. “Power companies are often seen as part of the problem in terms of the environment, but in Singapore, we can say we have become part of the solution,” says Mr Wauters.