GS E&C expanding presence in Singapore
The Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, the largest medical complex in Singapore, constructed by GS Engineering and Construction (E&C). / Courtesy of GS E&C
By Lee Hyo-sik
GS Engineering & Construction (E&C) has been expanding its presence in Singapore, taking part in a wide range of social infrastructure development projects in the city state.
The builder recently completed the construction of Singapore’s largest and most up-to-date hospital, earning a great deal of praise from healthcare industry officials there. It has also received a number of awards for its environmentally friendly, safety-first construction management.
GS E&C expects to secure more projects from both the public and private sector in Singapore, and will use its success as a springboard to make inroads into Vietnam and other nearby countries.
On Oct. 10, GS held a ceremony, hosted by CEO Lim Byung-yong, to open the $550 million general hospital in downtown Singapore, capable of treating more than 1,000 patients. Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and other senior government officials attended the opening event.
The 16-story Ng Teng Fong General Hospital is built on a 237,000 square-meter site and has three sections that can hold 1,100 beds, the largest medical complex in the city.
According to the company, the hospital is designed and built as an eco-friendly facility, using about 40 percent less water than conventional healthcare facilities. GS also installed hundreds of solar panels on the building’s roof to meet electricity demand for water heating and landscape lighting.
“We utilized all our expertise and knowhow to create the most advanced hospital, which has become a landmark in Singapore,” said GS E&C executive director Park Kwang-ho, who oversaw the project. “We will strengthen our business partnership with the Singapore government and private-sector entities.”
In September, GS received a top award from Singapore’s Land Transport Authority for its safe management of construction sites. The builders’ five sites in the city were recognized as the safest and the most efficiently-managed.
A company spokesman said the award will put the builder in a better position to secure public work projects in the future. “This shows that we are doing a pretty good job in Singapore. We will more actively take part in Singapore’s infrastructure development and improve the overall corporate image of Korean builders.”
In May, GS also earned an award from Singapore’s Building & Construction Authority for its environmentally friendly construction management.
The builder is currently engaged in six subway construction projects valued at 1.8 trillion won and five other building programs worth 1.3 trillion won.
“Using Singapore as our strategic base, we will expand our reach to Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and other nearby nations,” the spokesman said. “While continuing to maintain our presence in the Middle East, we will mobilize more resources to establish a strong foothold in Southeast Asia.”