When wide open spaces are as constricted as they are in Singapore, the only way to go is up — like our HDB apartments — or down. Deep, deep down, like this S$2.4 billion cable tunnel project that’ll begin early next year.
By the end of 2018, Singapore will be supplied by electricity from three new underground cable tunnels spanning 40km across the country, buried as far down as 80m beneath the surface. The 80m-deep tunnel will be the deepest point of any tunnel in Singapore to date, according to SP Group. For scale, that’s half the height of the UOB Plaza Two tower.
SP added that the tunnels were built deep underground to ensure reliable electricity supply, and also to ensure they don’t cut close to water pipes and telecommunication cables, both of which are built just under the surface of roads. Having the electric cables stored deep underground also ensures easier repair and replacement works, with minimum inconvenience to the public.
Other impressive stats include the fact that the new tunnels will be able to house up to 1,200km of high-voltage electricity cables — over three times the distance between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Electricity will be transmitted progressively from the end of next year onwards, and when the laying of cables are completed in 2022, they should be able to carry 20 percent of Singapore’s current electricity supply.
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