SINGAPORE SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS 2014
Making a
global impact
Ecospec aims to take its patented green
technology solutions to the world
By Sheryl Quek
W
HEN it comes to environmental protection, Ecospec
Global Technology believes
in making a global impact as
a company.
“We want to provide solutions that the world can adopt, so the impact
will be large,” says Mr Chew Hwee Hong, 61,
managing director and founder of Ecospec.
As it stands, the green technologies
invented by Ecospec are already used
globally in the shipping, power and chemical
processing industries.
Its client list includes big names such as
Apple, Energizer and Panasonic, among other
global companies from Sweden, India, the
United Arab Emirates, Singapore and China.
The company’s global-minded drive
to protect the environment through its
business earned it a win in this year’s Green
Technology Awards (GTA) in the Small and
Medium Enterprise category.
One of the categories in the Singapore
Sustainability Awards, the GTA recognises
companies for their groundbreaking green
technology solutions.
“These awards are not an ordinary ‘win
or lose’ competition. We see it as a show of
maturity on the part of the Singapore business
community when it comes to environmental
protection,” says Mr Chew of Ecospec’s win.
Inventing its own solutions
Rather than adopt existing technologies,
Ecospec prefers to come up with new and
improved versions.
“This is the best and most effective way to
help save our environment,” says Mr Chew.
To do this, the company invests more than
$5 million a year in research and development
(R&D). Since its 2001 founding, the company
has invested $70 million in R&D.
The CSNOx/cSOx emission control system
is one such invention as a result of its investment.
Says Mr Chew: “The CSNOx/cSOx technology is the only system in the world that
can remove sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide from flue gases produced by ships, power
plants and other process burners which burn
coal, heavy oil or other fossil fuels.”
Used on TransAtlantic vessels, it allows
the use of low-grade heavy fuel oil without
polluting the environment, at the same time
saving millions of dollars in fuel costs.
Ecospec is also behind the BacComber
cooling tower water treatment system, which
controls scale, corrosion, algae and bacteria
without chemicals. Certified by the Singapore
Green Building Council, the technology is now
widely adopted in green building construction
to meet the Building Construction Authority’s
Green Mark Scheme criteria.
PHOTOS: CHONG JUN LIANG
“Most large-scale industries
need some form of regulation,
social pressure, incentives,
cost justification and technical
clearance for them to change
their stance and adopt the use
of green technology.”
Mr Chew Hwee Hong (above), managing
director, Ecospec Global Technolog
Says Mr Chew: “In each large-size building where it is installed, the system can result
in annual water savings that range from a few
thousand to more than 10,000 tonnes.”
Need for change
It is a challenge to convince large-scale industries
to adopt the green technologies, says Mr Chew.
“Most large-scale industries need some
form of regulation, social pressure, incentives,
cost justification and technical clearance for
them to change their stance and adopt the use
of green technology.”
Keeping tabs
“Everyone in the company, from top to
bottom, holds a “never say die” attitude in its
belief that change is possible,” says Mr Chew.
To stay ahead of the curve, the company
keeps tabs on the latest trends in technology
the market needs.
“Once we discover the potential of new
technology, our R&D team is quick to
explore the green technology solutions we
can derive from it,” says Mr Chew.
Two new initiatives are next on the list: a
method to convert carbon dioxide into usable
energy and a way to convert hard water into
soft water, without using chemicals.