The MND, together with the URA, is responsible for identifying infrastructure for upgrading and optimizing land use, but may also appoint a district-wide master developer to oversee the development of areas such as related industry clusters and new growth areas. In addition to imposing planning controls on individual land parcels, the master developer is given the discretion to develop the district based on land use and GPR guidelines at the overall district level to achieve: One of these master developers is JTC.

• Optimized land use across the entire development
• Integration of different users' needs
• Planned district-wide systems such as district cooling to reduce energy usage and enhance the sustainability and attractiveness of the environment¹

For land sold after 30 June 2022 under the GLS and Industrial Land Sales programmes for private development, the Building Control (Buildability and Productivity) Regulations 2011 and the 2008 Regulations were amended in 2022 to impose several new requirements, including the requirement to attain the higher Green Mark certification rating of Platinum SLE to ensure the minimum energy efficiency improvement of 60% over the 2005 baseline. Previously, the 2008 Regulations stipulated the Gold^PLUS or Platinum rating. Additionally, the environmental performance of buildings developed on GLS sites will be assessed on the Green Mark: 2021 certification standard and will be required to attain the maintainability badge to meet the Platinum SLE rating.²

The District Cooling Act 2001 allows minister for trade and industry to declare,³ by notification in the Government Gazette, an area to be a service area where district cooling systems (DCS) are to be provided and consumers have to subscribe to the service.

Unlike the in-house air-conditioning system in each individual building, which is maintained and operated, in part or fully, by a third party, the DCS supplies chilled water from a central source to multiple buildings through a network of pipes for cooling purposes. Individual users purchase chilled water from the DCS operator and do not need to install their own chiller plant other than an air distribution system.⁴

Drawing from the successful implementation in Yokohama and Osaka, Japan, which found that a DCS should serve a total GFA of about 1.25 million m2 for optimal efficiency,⁵ the URA has parceled out a section of the New Downtown at Marina South for a pilot DCS⁶ (expanded in 2023 with satellite plants⁷) and another in the upcoming Tengah development.⁸ The District Cooling Act 2001 and provision of DCS is administered by the Energy Market Authority of Singapore. SP Group, Singapore's national grid operator, which owns and operates electricity and gas transmission and distribution businesses including DCS, has also built and operated an industrial DCS at AMK Industrial Park.⁹

[1] Budget 2017; speech by MND; 7 March 2017.

[2] See the BCA circular: Enhanced Minimum Requirements for Building Works Relating to any Building on Land Sold on or after 30 June 2022 under the Government Land Sales Programme; 30 June 2022.

[3] Section 7(1) of the District Cooling Act 2001.

[4] See the BCA Green Mark: 2021 EE Technical Guide.

[5] Second reading of the District Cooling Bill; 16 March 2001.

[6] District Cooling (Declaration of Service Area) Notification.

[7] SP Group news release: SP Group Expands Marina Bay District Cooling Network With More Developments And New Satellite Plants; 26 May 2023.

[8] Minister for trade and industry: Second of the Energy (Resilience Measures and Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill; 2 November 2021.

[9] See SP Group: STMicroelectronics AMK Industrial Park, Singapore.