Ong Teng Ho has a work environment like no other. Instead of a skyscraper in the Central Business District, his job has led him to a floating platform which is berthed alongside bustling piers in Tuas.
Dressed in coveralls, Ong is Assistant General Manager (Program) at Seatrium, a global engineering solutions provider to the offshore, marine, and energy industries. He develops green technologies like batteries and energy storage systems that capture excess solar power for later use, testing these innovations at the Floating Living Lab in Pioneer Yard, an offshore testbed for cleaner maritime power solutions.
“When I first started working here, we were inheriting what was readily available in the market. Today, in this fast-paced tech era with a demand for reduced emissions and greener ways of operation, I’m in a better position to bring solutions to the market,” says Ong, who has gone from focusing on ship operations to driving a more digital and greener maritime and energy sector. “To work on new technology and solutions in Singapore that people use worldwide, it’s really very satisfying.”
His career journey mirrors that of the home-grown firm, which has become a global player operating in 13 markets while retaining its strong Singaporean DNA. Seatrium was formed in 2023, from a merger of Sembcorp Marine and Keppel Offshore & Marine amid industry headwinds.
As the largest shareholder of both companies, Temasek supported the merger proposal and helped to facilitate the negotiations between the parties.
“We believed strongly in the synergies that a combined entity could achieve,” says Nagi Hamiyeh, former Head of Temasek’s Portfolio Development Group and now its Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa. “For Singapore, having one champion with the right critical mass was very important for this turnaround.”
With the collective expertise of two industry leaders, Seatrium has made waves in the global offshore and marine sector. The company’s performance reflects this, having secured new orders worth S$15.2 billion in 2024, the highest in a decade. Its customers are among the world’s largest energy players, from bp and Shell to Petrobras and TenneT.
Not only has the company strengthened its leadership position in the traditional energy space, enhancing energy security and affordability for customers, but it is also driving the shift towards more sustainable solutions.
Floating up green solutions worldwide