Singapore plans to go underground

by Cheryl TayLand scarce Singapore seems to have found another way to free up land. Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan shared in his latest blog entry about his recent visit to the Jurong Rock Caverns (JRC) beneath Jurong Island's Banyan Basin with Minister in the Prime Minister's Office S. Iswaran, describing it as "quite an experience".

He had been to Phase One of JRC, which comprises five caverns at a depth of over 130m that will provide storage and terminalling facilities for liquid hydrocarbons, such as condensate and crude oil, which "form an important infrastructure for our petrochemical industry". The caverns also have large storage galleries.

Building such facilities above ground is cheaper but building them underground will ensure that more land is available for other uses. According to the minister, "the saving is equivalent to a saving of 60 ha of land which is very significant for Singapore".

Two of the caverns are nearing completion and will subsequently be closed to visitors.

"Worldwide, there are more than 200 rock caverns. We now have some in our midst," said Mr Khaw. He added that his visit down the shaft, which is presently the deepest part of the country, "left a deep impression. The JRC opens up new opportunities for land-scarce Singapore. Beyond storage, what more can be moved underground?"Cheryl Tay, Editor of CommericalGuru, wrote this story. To contact her about this or other stories, email cheryltay@allproperty.com.sg

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