The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (SSTEC) moved off to a good start in 2011 by signing a series of investment deals with four (4) companies. These involve transfer of land use rights and leasing of office space and factory space.
The deals were witnessed by Singapore’s Minister for National Development Mr Mah Bow Tan and China’s Vice-Chairman for the Eco-City Administrative Committee (ECAC) Mr Cui Guang Zhi at a signing ceremony held in the Eco-City on 25 January afternoon.
Representing the recently established Tianjin Eco-City Ministerial Committee from Singapore was Senior Minister of State for Education and National Development Ms Grace Fu. The formation of the Ministerial Committee, which is chaired by Minister Mah Bow Tan, reflects the importance that the Singapore Government attaches to the Eco-City project. Chinese representatives at the signing ceremony include ECAC Vice-Chairmen, Mr Zhang Yan Fa, Mr Lin Xue Feng, Mr Yang Zhi Ze and Mr Meng Xian Zhang, and Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (TECID) General Manager Mr Meng Qun.
With these latest signings, SSTEC has attracted an additional RMB 265 million worth of industrial investments to Tianjin Eco-City, bringing the total to RMB 2.8 billion. The companies involved in the signings are Keppel Telecommunications and Transportation Ltd (Keppel T&T), Keppel Integrated Engineering Ltd (KIE), SITO Jia Hua (Beijing) Investment Co., Ltd (SITO) and Enersolar New Energy Technologies Pte Ltd (Enersolar). (Please refer to Annex I and II for further details.)
The Tianjin Eco-City has attracted investments from many top multinational corporations, including Philips and Hitachi. Singapore companies have also been actively taking the lead in driving investments and deploying eco-technologies and sustainable urban solutions to help the Eco-City achieve its objectives.
Mr Ho Tong Yen, CEO of SSTEC, said: “I am very pleased to see that many world-class companies have decided to invest in the Tianjin Eco-City and use this as a base to engage in research and development, eco - technology showcasing and regional sales and distribution activities in Tianjin and Northern China. I am also delighted that many Singapore companies have decided to take advantage of this platform provided by the Chinese and Singapore governments. In 2010, SSTEC attracted some RMB 2.5 billion of industrial investments into the Eco-City, out of which almost half were from Singapore companies. For today’s signing, 3 out of the 4 deals involve Singapore companies. We look forward to partnering even more Chinese, Singaporean and international companies to work together to build a green and vibrant Eco-City.”
Keppel T&T will sign an agreement to transfer the Land Use Rights of a 2.8 ha logistics land plot in the Eco Industrial Park (EIP) for the development and operation of a green integrated logistics distribution centre. This will bring in an investment of RMB 135 million and feature a 35,000 square metres modern warehouse when completed. Keppel T&T’s logistics hub will help to draw high-value added manufacturing investments into Tianjin Eco-City and provide integrated logistics services for the Tianjin Eco-City, Tianjin Binhai New Area and northern China.
Keppel T&T is a key partner in the Eco-City and will play an important role in fulfilling the logistics requirements of investors and companies in the EIP, and facilitating the growth of their businesses. This is especially so as logistics is an essential ingredient in ensuring the competitiveness and growth of EIP as a premier manufacturing base for investors in the Bohai Rim area. Mr Pang Hee Hon, CEO of Keppel T&T said: “We are happy to contribute to the development of the Tianjin Eco-City. This marks Keppel T&T’s first and significant step into North China. We look forward to bringing in the experience and success we had in providing integrated logistics services in other parts of China, as well as working with the other partners coming into the Eco-City. In line with the Eco-City’s vision to be a model of sustainable development, Keppel T&T also aims to provide green logistics services that can help customers adopt sustainable supply chain practices and achieve better resource efficiency.”
SITO Jia Hua (Beijing) Investment Co., Ltd (SITO) will invest RMB 130 million in the Eco-Business Park and set up an ecological demonstration base in Tianjin Eco-City, which will include its regional office, a R&D centre for solar PV, solar thermal power generation, and biomass power generation. SITO will also act as a multiplier and use this platform to bring in its portfolio of companies into Tianjin Eco-City and will generate economic spinoffs and job creation to attract talents and residents to the Eco-City.
Solar heating company Enersolar New Energy Technologies Pte Ltd will be taking up plug-and-play ready built factory space in the Eco-Industrial Park to assemble and provide renewable energy and solar thermal systems for the Eco-City. Mr Javis Lim, President of Enersolar New Energy Technologies Pte Ltd said: “We are delighted to participate in the Eco-City, as we believe there is a sustainable market for solar thermal energy, which helps owners of buildings meet Green Building Evaluation Standards (GBES) requirements for buildings in the Eco-City.”
Keppel Integrated Engineering (KIE) will take the lead in developing the Tianjin Sustainable Development Innovation Centre (TSDIC) in the Eco-Business Park. The TSDIC will be a place where international educational institutions, government agencies, and leading international companies are brought under one roof to create an environment that is conducive for an active R&D and innovation community to take root in the Eco-City. As the first anchor tenant of Landmark Building 2 in EBP, KIE will join the ranks of other eco- technology stalwarts such as Philips, Hitachi and ST Engineering to develop the EBP as a vibrant R&D centre for eco-technology and sustainable urban solutions for the Tianjin Eco-City and beyond.
At the same signing ceremony, KIE also signed a framework agreement with TECID to explore joint investment and development of water treatment projects in the Tianjin Eco-City. The collaboration with TECID will leverage KIE’s wide experience in wastewater treatment and water recycling to contribute towards the growth of the water resource and wastewater management industry in the Tianjin Eco-City.
The KIE-TECID projects will include a new water recycling plant that will reuse reclaimed wastewater in the Eco-City. The water plant will purify treated wastewater to a quality that is higher than China’s national water discharge standard. The recycled water is suitable for reuse in a number of non-potable applications such as andscaping, parks and golf courses irrigation, as well as in various industrial applications such as cooling water, dust control and construction activities. The recycled water from the water plant hence provides an additional source of water, reducing overall demand on fresh water and alleviating water scarcity challenges in North China.
