12 Monday, September 24 2012

THE NEW PAPER
News
Power
grid
goes
deep
The deep
cable
tunnels
will form
the
backbone
of S’pore’s
power
supply,
serving
the
future...
UTILITY BUILDING
Houses ventilation
equipments and the
framework to support
the power cables.
TRAFFIC FLOWS
3m
Sewage &
current
power grid
12m
Underpass
and malls
The tunnels will be
located under major
public roads and will
not encroach into any
private properties.
FIVE COMPANIES
Singapore Power
awarded six contracts
to five construction
firms, chosen for their
expertise in
tunnel-boring
machine technology.
S’pore Power is embarking
on a $2 billion project to build
two cross-island transmission
cable tunnels 60m
underground – the height of a
20-storey building. We give
you a lowdown on the project
– Singapore
Power chief
executive
Wong Kim Yin
LONGER LIFE
Current cable system
is already 30 years
old. The cable tunnel
will have a life span of
120 years.
8-25m
WHAT IT IS
Underground
expressways
Two cable tunnels 35km long and 6m
wide will be built to house future main
transmission cables – the East-West tunnel, 16.5km in length and the
North-South tunnel, 18.5km in length.
These tunnels will allow for efficient
installation of cables and also make it
easier to carry out maintenance and replacement works.
A total of 18 utility buildings will be
constructed along the tunnels’ routes,
located in less populated areas where
possible.
Construction work start at the end of
this year and will be completed in 2018.
TUNNEL FACTS
DIMENSION
At 6 meters, the tunnel’s
diameter is as wide as MRT
tunnel’s.
CABLE CAPACITY
30m
MRT tunnel
230kv
500mva
400kv
1000mva
VENTILATION
Maximum temperature
in the tunnel does not
exceed 42 degree C.
Air will be drawn in
from equipment
building and
exhausted at the
ventilation shaft to
keep the tunnel
well-ventilated.
WHERE THEY WILL BE
GAMBAS
SEMBAWANG
Senoko
MANDAI
Power plant
North-South tunnel
East-West tunnel
Permanent shaft
Temporary shaft
Substation
MARYMOUNT
THOMSON PIE
Deep tunnel
sewerage system
May Road
interface
Water
coolers
Service
vehicle
PAYA LEBAR
AIRPORT ROAD
KALLANG
Tuas
Jurong
Island
20-55mm
TAGORE
ANG MO KIO
RANGOON
HOLLAND
AYER RAJAH
DUNEARN
NORTH BUONA VISTA
WHY THE NEED
The space beneath the roads has become
congested with gas and water pipes, telecom cables, drainage channels and MRT
tunnels over the years.
The current method of directly burying cables requires diversion of services
and traffic flow.
An underground cable tunnel is the
best solution and the most cost-effective.
SHAFT
Houses lifts,
staircase &
ventilation
ducts.
60m
Singapore Power
cable tunnel
150m
Jurong Rock Caverns
(underground oil storage facility)
TNP INFOGRAPHICS:
CEL GULAPA, FADZIL HAMZAH
SOURCE: SINGAPORE POWER