TRENCHLESS ASIA 2012 in Singapore Is a Resounding Success

The sixth TRENCHLESS ASIA 2012 exhibition and conference took place in Singapore at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, July 2-4, and for the first time was co-located with Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), World Cities Summit and CleanEnviro Summit.  The combined attendance was recorded at more than 18,500 visitors from 104 countries.

The TRENCHLESS ASIA 2012 exhibition featured more than 50 companies from 10 countries and included country pavilions from Singapore and Germany.  Platinum sponsors of the event were Vermeer Asia Pacific and Gold Sponsors, Digital Control Inc. (DCI).

“The decision to hold TRENCHLESS ASIA alongside SIWW proved to be extremely successful, with exhibitors reporting excellent enquiries from visitors looking for trenchless solutions” commented show director Paul Harwood.  “The attendance by visitors who signed up specifically to attend TRENCHLESS ASIA was supplemented by a high number of attendees who crossed over from SIWW exhibition, thus expanding the visitor profile to include an influential audience of international water industry experts and policy makers from around the world.”

Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong was the guest of honor at the official opening ceremony and reception.  During his welcome address, he highlighted the relevance of the events to match the overall theme of ‘Water solutions for liveable and sustainable cities.’  

TRENCHLESS ASIA’s two-day conference was opened by Dr. Sam Ariaratnam, Chairman of the International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT).  Keynote presentations followed by Tan Yok Gin, assistant chief executive of operations of Singapore’s Public Utilities Board (PUB) and Mohammed Akhir Mohd Jiwa, director general sewerage services, Ministry of Energy, Green Technology & Water, Malaysia.

In his address, Mr. Tan reinforced the necessity for urban conurbations to adopt trenchless technologies and illustrated Singapore’s extensive works and commitment to preserving the environment through trenchless engineering works.  He reported that Singapore’s current projects include a major sewer rehabilitation programme to refurbish 1,000 km of sewers within Punggol & Serangoon Reservoir Catchment.  In addition, Singapore has an ongoing programme to rehabilitate sewers throughout the country.

Mr. Mohammed Akhir Mohd Jiwa, who was also a speaker at the ISTT’s 2010 international conference in Singapore, updated delegates on the significant advances in the use of trenchless technology in Malaysia.  In 2011, a budget of RM 5.6 billion (approximately $1.7 billion USD) was approved to improve the sewerage infrastructure of the Greater Kuala Lumpur/ Klang Valley. This funding will enable the construction of regional sewage treatment plants, sewer networks and upgrading the existing sewerage facilities. The project which is already underway is expected to be completed by 2020.

The conference program was organized in conjunction with ISTT and featured presentations on a number of new technologies, as well as many case studies to illustrate the challenges and solutions of trenchless works around the world.

TRENCHLESS ASIA 2012 was organized by U.K. based Westrade Group, organizers of the first No-Dig event in London in 1985.  Further information on Westrade Group’s future program of trenchless technology events may be obtained from www.westrade.co.uk