TITANIUM DIOXIDE PLANT IN TUAS (Risk of environmental pollution)

Mr Goh Chee Wee asked the Minister for the Environment whether his Ministry carries out a thorough evaluation of the risk of environmental pollution before companies are allowed to set up plants in Singapore; and if he will comment on the setting up of a titanium dioxide plant in Tuas whose production process has generated much controversy in certain countries because of the potential hazard to health and the environment.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng) (for the Minister for the Environment): On behalf of my Minister, Sir.

Before companies are allowed to set up plants in Singapore, the Ministry of the Environment thoroughly evaluates the risk of environmental pollution. This was done for the titanium dioxide plant in Tuas.

Titanium dioxide is a non-toxic, inert material that is used as a high quality white pigment in paints, printing inks, plastics, rubber, synthetic fibres and cosmetics.

There are two basic types of processes used to manufacture titanium dioxide. The first is the sulphate process which the Tuas plant does not use. The sulphate process uses large quantities of sulphuric acid to produce titanium dioxide from low grade titanium dioxide ores. This process generates about 9(r) tons of acid wastes and iron salts for every tonne of titanium dioxide produced. Such a large amount of waste is very expensive to treat and the plants which use this process usually discharge the waste into the sea. The wastes will acidify the sea water and discolour it red. This process has therefore generated much controversy in countries with plants using this process.

The titanium dioxide plant in Tuas uses the chloride process which is much cleaner. It also refines high grade, not low grade, titanium dioxide ore. As a result, less waste is generated. Only about 20 to 40 kg of wastes such as unrecovered titanium dioxide, iron oxides, coke and alumina, are generated for every tonne of titanium dioxide produced. These wastes are non-toxic and they are safely disposed of by landfill.

The chloride process, however, uses chlorine which is a toxic gas. To avoid transporting chlorine on the roads, the Tuas plant generates chlorine on-site. The amount of chlorine stored in the plant at any time has been kept to a minimum. In addition, the plant has installed equipment to collect and reduce chlorine emissions to safe levels in case of a leak from the chlorine tank.

Besides having a cleaner process and using only high grade ore, the plant at Tuas has also taken all the necessary measures to comply with our standards on air and water pollution.

As for other industrial premises, regular inspections are being made to ensure all pollution control equipment installed at the plant are correctly operated and adequately maintained. No emissions exceeding our standards have been detected.

Mr Goh Chee Wee (Boon Lay): Sir, can I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary whether the Government has ever turned down any potential investment based on environmental considerations?

Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng: Yes, we have disallowed a few that were known to have pollution hazards. In fact, as a matter of interest, in the early eighties, another investor approached us to produce titanium dioxide using the sulphate process and we had turned it down for the reasons which I have just stated.