Study finds Jurong Island power plant may not impact corals, but experts raise questions on methods

Study assesses Jurong Island power plant's impact on corals, but experts question the environmental impact assessment methods. Read more at straitstimes.com.

SINGAPORE – An environmental study for one of the first developments in an area of Jurong Island carved out for low-carbon technologies has found that its impacts on the marine environment would be limited.

Slated to be up and running by 2029, electricity retailer PacificLight’s 670MW hydrogen-compatible natural gas power plant and energy storage system will be able to power more than 864,000 four-room flats for a year.

Much of the 430-page report, published online in mid-February, was focused on identifying the development’s impacts on the marine environment, which are likely to arise from discharge released by the power plant.

This includes stormwater run-off from the premises and seawater that is taken in to cool the plant and subsequently released. Such discharge could be heated and contain chlorine, which can stress marine life and even cause death at elevated levels.

Hard corals, in particular, are sensitive to heat. When stressed by warmer waters during a marine heatwave, corals turn ashen white in a phenomenon known as coral bleaching.

The nearest known coral reef to the power plant is known as the Helios Secondary Reef, and is located about 700m away from the discharge outlet. It is made up of corals that colonised the seawall and artificial structures at the southern hook of Jurong Island.