Mr S Iswaran at the Senoko Energy’s Stage 2 Repowering Completion Ceremony

Remarks by Mr S Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry at Senoko Energy’s Stage 2 Repowering Completion Ceremony on Wednesday, 6 February 2013, Senoko Power Station

Mr Hajime Tsuda, Chairman of Senoko Energy,

Mr Brendan Wauters, President & CEO of Senoko Energy,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen.

Good morning. I am happy to join you this morning for Senoko Energy’s Stage 2 Repowering Completion Ceremony. 

Let me first extend my heartiest congratulations to Senoko Energy on the completion of the Stage 2 Repowering Project. As you have heard, in the first stage of the Repowering Programme, three of Senoko Energy’s oil-fired 120 MW steam plants had already been converted to gas-fired 365 MW combined-cycle plants (CCPs).  Today, we mark another milestone in Senoko Energy’s history with the transformation of three more oil-fired steam plants into higher capacity CCPs.  

Importance of Power Sector

These capacity enhancements are particularly significant as the power sector is a key driver of Singapore’s economy.  Without reliable access to gas and energy, our industries will not be able to thrive and grow, and our households will not be able to enjoy reliable electricity supply and a standard of living we have grown accustomed to. So, it is important that the public and private sectors work together to ensure that the power sector continues to evolve to keep pace with the growing energy needs in our economy.

Exciting Opportunities for the Power Sector

The power sector in Singapore is poised for further growth over the next few years, with opportunities arising from the introduction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Singapore and new technologies that hold much promise for greater efficiencies in power generation. When the LNG terminal becomes operational in the second quarter of this year, there will be greater availability of gas for power generation in Singapore. At the same time, more of our generation companies are expected to undertake repowering projects to upgrade their plant turbines.  These are exciting developments for the power sector, as our gencos embrace new and cleaner technologies to improve performance and to capitalise on the growth opportunities within the sector. The benefits from the point of view of carbon footprint are also quite significant.

Capability Building and Manpower Development Efforts

These developments also create interesting and exciting career opportunities in the power sector.  As a result of growth opportunities in power generation, as well as in the areas of smart energy technologies, energy efficiency and energy demand management, the power sector will need many more talented and motivated individuals to join the workforce.  Currently, the power sector’s technical workforce numbers about 4,600. Approximately 2,400 new technical professionals will be required for the sector over the next 10 years. So there are significant opportunities for talented young people to take advantage of career prospects in the sector.

In the Government we recognise the need to ensure sufficient manpower capacity and capabilities to support the growth of the power sector. In particular, I want to acknowledge and thank the industry-led Power Sector Manpower Taskforce (PSMT), which released its report last month with recommendations on manpower development strategies for the sector. I want to thank all the members of the Taskforce, several of whom are present here today. The Energy Market Authority will work with the industry to implement these initiatives, which will ensure we continue to have a strong pipeline of talent for this sector.

Scholarships for Eligible Students and Youth Outreach

One of the proposed initiatives is to award industry scholarships to students at various educational levels, to encourage them to pursue careers in the power sector. So I am delighted that Senoko Energy will be presenting, today, its inaugural ITE scholarships to two deserving students, Nathaniel Tan Guan Rong and Aloysius Lin Zhanwang. 

At only 24 years of age, both Nathaniel and Aloysius have shown that they are determined and motivated individuals with a keen desire to succeed in life. Despite juggling studies with work – Nathaniel and Aloysius both work part-time in the hospitality line to help out with their family expenses – they have achieved good grades and impressed the Senoko Energy scholarship judging panel. I understand that they will be pursuing the Higher National ITE Certificate (Higher Nitec) in Mechanical Engineering. I want to take the opportunity to congratulate Nathaniel and Aloysius on their well-deserved scholarships, and wish them a very rewarding and fulfilling career with Senoko Energy in the power sector.

I also want to applaud Senoko Energy’s commitment to developing young talent for the power sector. The sector needs graduates from our ITEs, polytechnics and universities. Apart from scholarships, it is equally important for the industry to ensure that there are meaningful career progression pathways and further opportunities for training. In other words, it’s not just about the point of entry, but also about what is the progression pathway after they have joined the organisation.   

The sector offers many interesting and stable jobs in areas such as plant design, operations and maintenance, grid transmission design and regulation, business development and energy efficiency management. Many of our students may not be fully aware of these opportunities and what they entail. Perhaps they have not been exposed to the workings of a power plant, nor had the chance to interact with technical professionals from the sector. So I hope Senoko Energy’s open house today, and indeed the efforts of all our industry stakeholders, will give our students a useful insight into the power sector and excite them about the available career opportunities. And I also want to urge the collective endeavour of all industry stakeholders to reach out more to our young Singaporeans so that they would come on board.

Training and Upgrading for Existing Workers

Even as we try to attract fresh young talent into the power sector, I want to acknowledge and categorically state that we must continue to invest in our current workforce.  A systematic staff development and training programme will provide greater clarity in the opportunities for training and skills upgrading. I am told that as a result of Senoko Energy’s efforts to build staff capability, many of Senoko Energy’s technical staff have been able to rise through the ranks. A good example is Senoko Energy’s Vice President of Instrumentation and Control Asset, Mr Lim Leong Chuan. Mr Lim joined Senoko Energy as a unit controller in 1984 after graduating from ITE. He was given the chance to pursue a diploma, and he eventually obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from NTU in 1993. This is a heartening story of what the sector has to offer, and the kind of career progression that can be made.

We need to groom more stalwarts like Mr Lim from the new, younger generation of Singaporeans. To this end, the Energy Market Authority is working closely with the stakeholders to establish a National Energy Competency Framework for the sector. This is in line with the recommendations of the Power Sector Manpower Taskforce.

Conclusion

So I want to conclude by saying that I am most encouraged by the efforts of Senoko Energy and indeed other stakeholders in the power sector, who have contributed to the work of the Taskforce, and who are committed with us to the development of our manpower capacity and capability in the sector. It is important that the public and private sectors work closely together to reach out to a younger generation of Singaporeans, inform and excite them about opportunities in the power sector, and ensure that the power sector’s manpower needs are met not just for the next 10 years, but well beyond. I look forward to the strong collaboration among, and support from, all industry stakeholders

in this very important endeavour.

Thank you.