Statute Details
- Title: Environmental Protection and Management (Meranti Power Pte. Ltd. — Exemption) Order 2025
- Act Code: EPMA1999-S111-2025
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Environmental Protection and Management Act 1999 (specifically, powers under section 75)
- Enacting Authority: National Environment Agency (NEA)
- SL Number: SL 111/2025
- Date Made: 14 February 2025
- Commencement: 15 February 2025
- Current Version Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026
- Key Provisions: Sections 1–3; Schedule (boundary noise limits and related adjustments)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Environmental Protection and Management (Meranti Power Pte. Ltd. — Exemption) Order 2025 (“Exemption Order”) is a targeted regulatory instrument that grants a time-limited exemption to Meranti Power Pte. Ltd. from a specific noise compliance requirement under Singapore’s boundary noise regime for factory premises.
In practical terms, the Order recognises that Meranti Power’s operations at its factory premises at 3 Meranti Road, Singapore 628536 may cause noise levels that would otherwise breach the “maximum permissible” boundary noise limits during certain evening and night periods. Rather than removing the underlying regulatory framework, the Order temporarily relaxes one element of compliance—regulation 3(1)(b) of the Boundary Noise Limits Regulations—so that Meranti Power can operate during defined “exempted sessions”, subject to strict conditions and automatic cessation triggers.
The scope is narrow: it applies only to the named company and only to the specified premises. The exemption is also not open-ended. It ends when any of several measurable thresholds are exceeded (e.g., cumulative hours of exceedance), or when certain testing/operational circumstances occur (e.g., boundary noise measurements exceed scheduled limits, or when other noise sources are present that complicate attribution).
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Citation and commencement (Section 1)
Section 1 provides the formal title and states that the Exemption Order comes into operation on 15 February 2025. This matters for compliance planning: any noise exceedance or operational activity after commencement may fall within the exemption window, but only if the conditions in Section 3 are satisfied.
2. Definitions (Section 2)
Section 2 defines several terms that are central to how the exemption is calculated and when it stops. Key definitions include:
- “exempted session”: two daily time bands—12 a.m. to 6.59 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 11.59 p.m. These are the only periods during which the exemption can operate.
- “permissible noise levels”: the maximum permissible noise levels prescribed in regulation 3(1)(b) of the Boundary Noise Limits Regulations, subject to the adjustment mechanism in regulation 3(3).
- “aggregate duration where permissible noise levels are exceeded”: a cumulative measure—essentially the total duration (in hours) of occasions in the exempted sessions when noise emitted from the relevant premises exceeds the permissible noise levels.
- “specified 12-month period”: a defined compliance year running from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, and then each subsequent 12-month period starting on 1 July and ending on 30 June.
- “relevant premises”: the factory premises at 3 Meranti Road.
3. The exemption itself (Section 3(1))
Section 3(1) states that Meranti Power Pte. Ltd. is exempt from regulation 3(1)(b) of the Boundary Noise Limits Regulations in respect of the relevant premises during an exempted session of any day.
This is the core relief: during the defined night/evening windows, Meranti Power is not required to comply with the boundary noise limits that would otherwise apply under regulation 3(1)(b). However, the exemption is conditional and can cease automatically under Section 3(2).
4. Automatic cessation triggers (Section 3(2))
Section 3(2) is the most legally significant part for practitioners because it creates multiple independent “stop” events. The exemption ceases to apply at the earliest time when any of the following occurs:
- Threshold 1: cumulative exceedance hours (interim period)
Under Section 3(2)(a), during the period 15 February 2025 to 30 June 2025 (inclusive), the exemption stops when the aggregate duration where permissible noise levels are exceeded exceeds 1,000 hours. - Threshold 2: cumulative exceedance hours (rolling 12-month periods)
Under Section 3(2)(b), in any specified 12-month period, the exemption stops when the aggregate exceedance exceeds 700 hours. Importantly, the cessation is not immediate upon exceeding 700 hours; it ceases upon the expiry of a 12-month period commencing on the first day of the month immediately after the month in which the 700-hour threshold is exceeded. The Order includes an illustration: if the threshold is crossed on 15 March 2026, the exemption ceases from and including 1 April 2027. - Threshold 3: boundary noise measurements exceed scheduled maximum boundary noise levels
Under Section 3(2)(c)(i), at any time during an exempted session on or after 15 February 2025, the exemption ceases if noise levels emitted from the relevant premises—measured over a 5-minute period at any point at or about ground level along a boundary specified in the first column of the Schedule—exceed the corresponding maximum boundary noise levels in the second column (read with Section 3(3)). - Threshold 4: other noise sources are present (attribution condition)
Under Section 3(2)(c)(ii), the exemption ceases if, during an exempted session on or after 15 February 2025, the testing and commissioning or operating of the Open Cycle Gas Turbine Generating Station (or any part thereof) is not the only source of noise from the relevant premises.
5. Schedule-based measurement and adjustment (Section 3(3))
Section 3(3) addresses a technical but crucial evidentiary/compliance issue: what happens if there are other sources of noise affecting the measurement. In that case, the maximum boundary noise levels in the Schedule must be adjusted in accordance with regulation 3(3) of, and the Second Schedule to, the Boundary Noise Limits Regulations.
The adjustment is made by treating the Schedule’s maximum boundary noise levels as if they were the “maximum permissible noise levels” under the Boundary Noise Limits Regulations. For practitioners, this means the exemption is not purely a “fixed number” regime; it incorporates the broader regulatory methodology for dealing with mixed noise sources and measurement interference.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Exemption Order is structured in a conventional subsidiary legislation format:
- Section 1 (Citation and commencement): identifies the Order and its effective date (15 February 2025).
- Section 2 (Definitions): sets out the meaning of terms used in the exemption, including the time windows (“exempted sessions”), the cumulative exceedance metric, and the premises to which the Order applies.
- Section 3 (Exemption): contains the operative exemption (Section 3(1)) and the conditions for cessation (Section 3(2)), plus the measurement adjustment mechanism (Section 3(3)).
- THE SCHEDULE: provides the boundary-specific maximum noise levels (by boundary location/time) that are used in the 5-minute measurement trigger under Section 3(2)(c)(i). The Schedule is read together with Section 3(3) for adjustments where other noise sources affect measurement.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies only to Meranti Power Pte. Ltd. and only in relation to its factory premises at 3 Meranti Road, Singapore 628536. It does not create a general exemption for all operators or all premises; it is a bespoke instrument tied to a specific site and operator.
Operationally, the exemption is limited to the defined exempted sessions (12 a.m.–6.59 a.m. and 7 p.m.–11.59 p.m.). Even within those sessions, the exemption is conditional and can cease if any of the triggers in Section 3(2) occur—particularly measurement exceedances against the Schedule and the “only source of noise” attribution requirement.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Exemption Order is important because it demonstrates how Singapore manages environmental compliance through targeted regulatory flexibility rather than blanket deregulation. It allows a specific facility to operate during defined periods that would otherwise be constrained by boundary noise limits, but it does so with measurable, enforceable limits and automatic cessation.
For practitioners advising industry clients, the Order has immediate compliance implications:
- Monitoring and record-keeping: The cumulative exceedance thresholds (1,000 hours and 700 hours) require robust noise monitoring and data logging to track “aggregate duration where permissible noise levels are exceeded”.
- Boundary-specific testing: The 5-minute measurement trigger under Section 3(2)(c)(i) requires attention to the Schedule’s boundary points and corresponding maximum boundary noise levels. Compliance teams should ensure measurement protocols align with the regulatory measurement approach.
- Noise source attribution: Section 3(2)(c)(ii) creates a practical operational constraint: if other noise sources are present during exempted sessions and the turbine station is not the only source, the exemption ceases. This may require operational controls, maintenance scheduling, or mitigation measures to prevent confounding noise sources.
- Adjustment methodology: Where other noise sources affect measurement, Section 3(3) mandates adjustments by reference to the Boundary Noise Limits Regulations. Legal and technical teams should coordinate to ensure the correct adjustment framework is applied.
Finally, the Order’s automatic cessation structure means that compliance risk is not limited to enforcement actions after the fact. If thresholds are exceeded, the exemption stops by operation of law at the specified times. This makes the Order a critical document for environmental compliance strategy, contract risk allocation (e.g., for commissioning/operations), and potential regulatory engagement with NEA.
Related Legislation
- Environmental Protection and Management Act 1999 (authorising provisions, including section 75)
- Environmental Protection and Management (Boundary Noise Limits for Factory Premises) Regulations (Rg 1) — including regulation 3(1)(b), regulation 3(3), and the Second Schedule
- Environmental Protection and Management (Meranti Power Pte. Ltd. — Exemption) Order 2025 (this Order) and its Schedule
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Environmental Protection and Management (Meranti Power Pte. Ltd. — Exemption) Order 2025 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.