Keppel takes broad-based strategic position in Tianjin

• First phase Seasons Park launched eco-homes in October 2010
• Other business units involved in wastewater treatment telecoms and R&D

Multinational Keppel Group leads the Singapore private sector consortium in a 50-50 venture with its Chinese consortium partner to form Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co Ltd (SSTEC), the eco-city’s master developer. SSTEC in turn has equity stakes in projects of other developers.

Strategically placed in the business eco-system, Keppel also has some choice projects in the 4 sq km start-up area of Tianjin Eco-City. It has taken up a 36.6-ha site which will be developed in phases by its unit Keppel Land. This site is located along the main Eco-Valley, near the Eco-Business Park and a commercial sub-centre next to a planned light rail station.

The entire development will comprise 5,000 homes and commercial properties, with a total gross floor area (GFA) of about 680,000 sq m. Seasons Park, the first phase, launched its eco-homes in October last year. Over 70% of the 701 launched units were sold as at March 2011.

Another development in the same site is Seasons City, which comprises three office towers, retail premises and serviced apartments with a total GFA of 254,398 sq m. The first phase broke ground in April, and comprises an office tower called Keppel Eco-Centre and retail premises. The tower will be built to Green Building Evaluation Standard (GBES) platinum.

Serenity Cove is another Keppel Land project that was launched in phases. It comprises 573 units of bungalows, apartments, semi-detached, terrace and villa units. The first two phases of 233 units have been sold and completed. Phase 3, consisting of apartments, semi-detached and villa units, is to be launched soon.

Other Keppel units also have a strong presence in this eco-city:

• Keppel Integrated Engineering (KIE) will build, own and operate a water reclamation plant through a joint venture agreement signed in April 2011 with Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co Ltd (TECID), the Chinese consortium partner. The proposed plant will serve the entire city, upgrade treated effluent from an existing wastewater treatment plant to meet stringent national standards for wastewater discharge, and also produce high-quality recycled water.

The proposed plant will include a wastewater effluent polishing unit with capacity of 100,000 cu m per day and a water recycling facility that will produce 20,000 cu m per day of recycled water initially, with the possibility of increasing the capacity to 42,000 cu m per day.

• KIE is the first anchor tenant of the Tianjin Eco-City Sustainable Development Innovation Centre (TSDIC), which gathers international educational institutions, government agencies and leading international companies under one roof to forge an R&D and innovation community.

• In 2010, Keppel DHCS made its first significant step into China to provide district heating and cooling system services in Tianjin Eco-City. Construction is underway.

• Keppel Telecommunications & Transportation (Keppel T&T) is developing a 35,000 sq m green integrated logistics distribution centre in the Eco Industrial Park which it will also operate. This logistics centre will help to draw high value-added manufacturing investments and provide integrated logistics services to North China. 

Flagship Landmark Building topped out

(Photo credit: SSTEC)

The first commercial building in Tianjin Eco-City to be structurally completed is the flagship Landmark Building located in the Eco Business Park (EBP). Topped up in August, the multi-tenanted 19-storey building will set the standard for business space in the eco-city.

It will have ready-built offices (RBOs), R&D set-ups and commercial facilities such as eateries, retail stores, gym and a crèche. It is aiming at a silver rating in both the Green Building Evaluation Standard (GBES) and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design system (LEED).

The “eco features” are designed to lower energy consumption, which translates into cost savings for the tenants. These include:

• Solar thermal water heaters to meet more than half of the hot water consumption

• Pneumatic waste collection system (PWCS) for clean and odourless waste disposal

• Solar tubes from the ground surface leading to underground parking areas

• Variable air volume (VAV) system with CO₂ sensors to control the exchange of fresh air within the building to better regulate the temperature and reduce dependence on air-conditioning.

• Exhaust heat recovery technology to retain heat from exhaust air 

• Variable voltage and variable frequency (VVVF) lifts which use less energy

• Philips “lighting on demand” system in the Landmark Building’s landscape design and within the building (this will be a test-bed project)