Sembcorp Industries
Feature | Engineering

At the Forefront
of Innovation

Sembcorp Industries
As a vital partner in providing essential solutions, Sembcorp Industries meets the world’s growing demand for energy, water and urban developments.

S embcorp’s success is driven by the operations of its three segments – Utilities, Marine and Urban Development. In Sembcorp Utilities, energy is generated through its power and steam production capacity. The division also develops total water and wastewater treatment solutions to meet its stakeholders’ business needs.

Over at Sembcorp Marine, specialised shipbuilding, rig building and other offshore engineering activities are conducted. The company enhances competitiveness through technology and innovation, and delivers quality services to strengthen its market position as a global leader. Finally, Sembcorp Urban Development focuses on transforming raw land into self-sufficient urban developments – all to enhance the value of its land bank and to attract international investments.

With knowledge breadth and depth, Sembcorp taps on its Group strength and sector expertise to deliver essential solutions to stakeholders. However, this cannot be achieved without its critical human capital. This is why it has constantly sought talented individuals to help it continue on its promising growth trajectory. Two of these individuals are Sembcorp Scholars Ang Tze Wei and Remus Wong. Both of them tell us how they contribute to the growth of the organisation, and the value they see in performing their roles.

Managing Real Issues

For Tze Wei, he chose to join Sembcorp in view of its repute as a leading energy, water, urban development and marine group. “Sembcorp also follows the global trend of tackling climate change issues, necessary amid trends of rapid urbanisation. In fact, 15 per cent of our energy output comes from renewable energy sources such as solar energy and wind energy. There are even plans in the pipeline to increase that number,” he tells us.

Tze Wei, an Engineer with Sembcorp Utilities, works to optimise the usage of alternate energy sources. He is currently working in the operations department of Sembcorp’s upcoming Energy from Waste (EFW) Plant. He tells us, “With the EFW Plant, we would be able to produce energy in the form of steam by burning rubbish. The EFW Plant is currently in the construction phase and should be operational by 2016.”

On the other hand, fellow scholar Remus is an Estimator in Sembcorp Marine’s Commercial Department. He works on the shipyard’s frontline interacting with ship owners, negotiating terms, and managing client relationships.

Remus Wong, Sembcorp Scholar

Remus Wong
Sembcorp Scholar

Designation:
Estimator (Commercial Department), Sembcorp Marine

“You have your own uniqueness, so follow your own path and keep up the good effort. The most important thing is to be happy in what you choose to do.”

Back when Remus was exploring his scholarship options, he was drawn to the organisation’s unconventional strategies especially in attracting young talents. He elaborates, “There are initiatives in Sembcorp such as the Green Wave Competition, organised for students from secondary to tertiary levels. In this competition, students are required to come up with innovative projects to, simply put, save the Earth. I thought it was smart of Sembcorp to target youths through this competition – they are energy users of tomorrow after all. On top of this, I also knew that being in a huge organisation with a diversified and global portfolio would allow me to contribute in more ways than one.”

Enriching Experiences

Both Tze Wei and Remus were given opportunities to be exposed to Sembcorp’s varied operations early on. Through their respective internships, they witnessed how the organisation facilitated its value creation process.

For Tze Wei, he undertook his internship with three different departments. He shares, “I was first assigned to the Process & Technology Programme, through which I conducted research on biomass and the microbes used to treat wastewater. This was followed by my experience in the Water Operations Departments, where I focused on the area of safety audits. Lastly, I was assigned to Sembcorp’s Multi-Utilities Facility as part of its operations team. I would say that my experiences allowed me a broad perspective of the organisation’s functions as an undergraduate.”

On Remus’ end, his internship experiences have remained relevant to his current role. He explains, “I worked in the safety department during my first internship, and part of my work scope included going for daily safety inspections and identifying unsafe practices. I learnt a lot about the importance of safety, which remains a top priority for me today. It is good to see that the things I learnt then are still applicable to my job now.”

Ang Tze Wei, Sembcorp Scholar

Ang Tze Wei
Sembcorp Scholar

Designation:
Engineer, Sembcorp Utilities

“Standing out among others is a must. You have to know your strengths and present yourself well.”

Beyond these nurturing internships, there are various opportunities for Sembcorp Scholars to gain enriching experiences. Remus highlights the support network within the organisation called the Hippocampus Club. This club is meant for Sembcorp Scholars to receive mentoring, guidance and feedback from senior scholars. “We even go out for drinks with fellow colleagues to explore possible business opportunities between business units,” Remus explains.

Also a member of the club, Tze Wei chimes in, “The club organises various peer gatherings. The most memorable experience for me is the trip we made to a farm in Lim Chu Kang. We learnt a lot about farming and even about cooking there! Now I can identify spices and make use of them to prepare meals.”

He also highlights the club’s involvement in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes. He muses, “We have made voluntary contributions to Ren Ci Hospital, where we helped in cleaning efforts and interacted with the elderly folks. The event allowed us to provide these folks with a listening ear and simply be there for them – this aspect alone was extremely rewarding for me.”

Words of Advice

With all that has been said, it is clear that the organisation commits itself to achieving its visions. It taps on its insight to manage energy consumption, walks its talk by providing Sembcorp scholars with opportunities to grow, and inculcates the spirit of unity in its culture. Today, Tze Wei and Remus have some nuggets of wisdom they want to share with aspiring Sembcorp Scholars.

Tze Wei advises, “Having an enterprising mind set is vital. You need to be consistently thinking of strategies to help develop the business further. Also, standing out among others is a must. You have to know your strengths and present yourself well.”

Remus rounds off the interview with advice on his own. He says, “Everyone’s path is different. I believe that you who are reading the magazine now has done well in what you had to do. You have your own uniqueness, so follow your own path and keep up the good effort. The most important thing is to be happy in what you choose to do.”