NDR 2022: 'New business and lifestyle destination' to be developed next to Changi Airport Terminal 5

SINGAPORE — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday (Aug 21) announced plans for a "new business and lifestyle destination" to be built next to Changi Airport Terminal 5 and gave updates on the latest airport terminal, Tuas Port and the relocation of Paya Lebar Air Base, which could see 150,000 new homes built on the site.

"This will be a new business and lifestyle destination, creating more jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans," Mr Lee said of the area next to Terminal 5, which would be called Changi East Urban District.

Mr Lee spoke of the importance of continuing to upgrade the nation's airport and seaport given that they are critical to putting Singapore on the world stage.

“They connect us to the world, and keep Singapore a thriving business and trading hub,” he said during his National Day Rally speech at the Institute of Technical Education headquarters in Ang Mo Kio.

Even though the Government had paused its plans for Terminal 5 for two years due to Covid-19, it had "made good use of the down time" to improve its design so that it will be more resilient and be able to operate more safely and flexibly during a pandemic, he added.

The Government has also assessed that the long-term prospects for air travel remain bright, particularly with a fast-growing middle class in the region.

"Our decisions to press on with Changi Terminal 5 and Tuas Port send a strong and clear signal to the world that Singapore is emerging stronger from the pandemic and charging full steam ahead," Mr Lee said, noting that Singapore’s seaport, for instance, serves not just the nation, but many countries around it.

When Asia was growing strongly a decade ago, Singapore anticipated that the business of port operator PSA would grow in tandem, Mr Lee added.

Even though the existing terminals at Tanjong Pagar, Brani, Keppel and Pasir Panjang were working fine, a decision was made to consolidate all the port operations into one mega-port at Tuas.

This shift would free up prime waterfront land from Shenton Way to Pasir Panjang for the future Greater Southern Waterfront, he said.

Operations at Tuas Port have already started and because Singapore had planned ahead, its port was able to handle extra volume and remain open 24/7 during the pandemic while ports in other countries experienced closures, severe congestion and long delays. 

This reinforced Singapore’s position as the “catch-up port” where vessels made up time for delays elsewhere, he added.

In his speech, Mr Lee also gave a taste of how Paya Lebar will be redeveloped once the air base there relocates around mid-2030.

Some 150,000 public and private homes could be built on the 800ha site, he said.

Here is a snapshot of the updates and features of Singapore’s urban plans, as provided by Mr Lee and a fact sheet from the Ministry of Transport (MOT).

TUAS PORT

• Tuas Port is “up and running” after completing Phase 1, Mr Lee said

• The first two berths started operations last December

• There are still three more phases to go before it is fully completed in the 2040s

• By then, it will have 66 berths spanning 26km that are capable of tackling the largest container ships

• MOT said that it will also have a handling capacity of 65 million standard-sized containers, almost double the volume handled last year

• For comparison, Pasir Panjang Terminal has 37 berths with a handling capacity of 34 million containers yearly

• Port operations have been automated and digitalised in the process of moving

• This includes the use of artificial intelligence to coordinate port operations, and driverless vehicles

• PSA aims for Tuas Port to achieve net zero emissions by 2050

CHANGI AIRPORT’S TERMINAL 5

• Mr Lee said that Terminal 5 will be completed by the mid-2030s

• MOT said that the terminal is being designed with the flexibility to operate as smaller sub-terminals when needed

• The design came from lessons learnt during the Covid-19 pandemic, the ministry said

• Space within the terminal can be converted for use during contingencies, such as for testing operations or the segregation of high-risk passengers

• There will be special provisions deployed within Terminal 5 to reduce the transmission of diseases

• These include contactless systems at passenger touch points, as well as enhanced ventilation systems that can be activated during a pandemic to increase the use of fresh air and minimise the mixing of air

• Mr Lee said that the new terminal will be made green and energy-efficient

• MOT said that when completed, the terminal will be a Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy Building as certified by the Building and Construction Authority

• To reduce the terminal’s carbon footprint, there will be solar panels, smart building management systems, as well as district cooling combined with thermal energy storage

• The building will also be ready for viable alternative fuels including the use of sustainable aviation fuel, and for the provision of fixed ground power and cooling for aircraft parked at the gates

PAYA LEBAR AIR BASE

• The relocation of the air base will start in the 2030s

• The 3.8km runway could be repurposed into the town’s “central spine”, Mr Lee said

• The central spine can also be turned into a green connector or a community space

•  An estimated 150,000 new homes, both public and private, can be built along both sides of the spine

• This is similar to the number of homes in both Punggol and Sengkang combined

• The future town could be aligned parallel to the runway, along the direction of prevailing winds

• This will keep the town naturally breezy and, hopefully, eliminate the need for air-conditioning, Mr Lee said

• There will be amenities and recreational areas nearby, along with commercial and industrial developments to bring jobs closer to homes 

Mr Lee said that once the air base moves out, it will be possible to lift the height restrictions of some buildings around it, such as those in Hougang, Marine Parade and Punggol.

“This means we can redevelop these towns, include more amenities, to make much better use of the space there,” he said, adding that it will help Singapore to reimagine the eastern part of the island completely.

“Singaporeans sometimes worry that we will run out of space in future, that housing will not be available and affordable.

“I say, 'No need to worry'. We have done our studies and planning. We will have enough space for future generations.”

He added that Singapore's problem is not finding the space to build enough flats, or keeping the flats affordable for Singaporeans.

"We know how to do that. Our problem is having enough babies to grow up and live in them."