On 27 August 2019, industrial gases and engineering company Linde held the groundbreaking ceremony for its new integrated manufacturing complex, which will be located and integrated with its existing gasification facility on Jurong Island. To be fully operational by 2023, the new complex will quadruple Linde’s current production capacity in Singapore to produce and supply hydrogen and synthesis gas.

The US$1.4 billion (S$1.9 billion) expansion represents Linde’s single largest investment globally, and will support the multibillion-dollar expansion of ExxonMobil Asia Pacific’s integrated manufacturing complex – also slated for completion by 2023. Linde’s expanded plant will take bottom-of-the-barrel, heavy residuals from ExxonMobil to put through a gasification process, producing hydrogen and other products that will be returned to the company.

Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Chan Chun Sing, Guest-of-Honour at the groundbreaking ceremony, said Linde’s investment is testimony to Singapore’s focus on the long haul, and not just the short term, amid challenging times. “If we get it right, it is the foundation for the next few decades,” he said. He added that for Singapore to attract long-term investors like Linde and ExxonMobil, it must provide a stable, secure and pro-business environment, combined with consistencies and coherence in policy-making.

“In recent times, despite the uncertainties, many significant investments have planted themselves in Singapore because of our superior connectivity – not only in the air, land and sea dimensions, but also in the dimensions of our data, finance, talent, technology and regulatory connectivity,” Mr Chan said. “These are the eight dimensions of connectivity that we keep harping upon because these will allow us to stand apart amidst the competition, and we have every intention to not rest on our laurels but to continue strengthening these dimensions of connectivity.”