Singapore is a global business hub, and its offshore and marine industry has been a major player in cementing this status. While the 2014 plummet in oil prices caused some to question its longevity, the sector has made a significant recovery, and in 2018 reported its biggest jump in output since March 2014. Yet while business is booming, a restricted shoreline poses practical issues in housing all of the companies, and novel designs are needed to make space for the blossoming (and ever-changing) industry.
JTC Corporation completed its first Offshore Marine Centre in 2011, ahead of this growing need for novel facilities. A 13ha space, it was designed to host a range of companies engaged in the manufacture of marine, oil, and gas equipment. Now, the Offshore Marine Centre 2 (OMC 2) is being planned as the latest, state-of-the-art facility, with its design based on a feasibility study conducted by Aurecon. Findings from the study offer the chance to pave the way for a new kind of offshore facility that responds directly to the needs of industry members, and offers insight into shifting stakeholder needs.
Creating a new facility
According to Aurecon, a global increase in trade has driven the rising demand for more efficient, higher-capacity ports and marine structures. Companies designing new offshore facilities therefore need to create sustainable, space-efficient environments, and Aurecon says they started the project by speaking with industry members about predicted requirements in the future offshore landscape.
