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

Seatrium's Floating Living Lab exemplifies the firm's energy transition leadership — Singapore's first floating energy storage system functions as a maritime power plant, offering LNG refuelling and electric vessel charging instead of high-emission fuels. In February 2025, the company marked another breakthrough with the world's first turnkey carbon capture and storage retrofit aboard the Clipper Eris, reducing the vessel's carbon emissions by up to 70%.

Since before its merger, Seatrium has advanced comprehensive offshore wind solutions — from substations transmitting electricity to onshore grids to specialised vessels that transport and install wind turbines, including two currently under development for the US market. Its credentials include Taiwan’s first operating offshore substation, two substations for the UK’s Hornsea 2 project (the world’s largest offshore wind farm), and three of the world’s largest substations (each with 2 GW capacity) currently in progress for the Netherlands.

Looking ahead, Seatrium is also exploring floating wind solutions to harness untapped energy potential in deeper oceans. Already, the company's offshore wind projects contribute nearly 14 GW of clean energy — estimated to power over 10 million Singapore households. With renewables and cleaner/green solutions comprising 34% of Seatrium's S$18.6 billion net order book through 2031, Seatrium is firmly positioned at the forefront of the energy transition. 

A Singapore beacon in choppy waves

“Our end-to-end capabilities, technical leadership and One Seatrium Global Delivery Model enable us to address the global energy trilemma,” says Seatrium Chief Executive Officer Chris Ong, highlighting the firm’s coordinated global network approach.

Eng Aik Meng, Temasek's Joint Head of Portfolio Development Group and Head of Operating Group, emphasises this competitive edge: “Not many companies can simultaneously be at the forefront of offshore engineering technology and operate globally — this significantly enhances Seatrium’s value.”

Beyond energy solutions, Seatrium is digitalising the maritime industry by modernising its labour-intensive shipyards. The company implements 5G connectivity and AR/VR technologies to transform work processes, with innovations like AR-assisted remote inspections reducing on-site hours by up to 30% while maintaining quality and effectiveness.

“Our industry has traditionally been viewed as resource-intensive due to the nature of its work,” says Ong, an industry veteran. “But we are transforming the industry.”

In many ways, the merger has been a key driver of these new initiatives. By combining global expertise in engineering and focusing on key global challenges, Seatrium is raising the bar for the industry and flying Singapore’s flag in the global economy.

In a volatile world with a changing trade order, Temasek is more than just Seatrium’s largest shareholder. Its Portfolio Development Group constantly engages the company’s leadership on key strategic moves and reviews growth plans in line with global trends. It plays the role of strategic partner in areas like geopolitics and the energy sector, says Eng.

Crucially, he says, it is Seatrium’s “Singapore spirit” of planning for the future and working hard that steadies the ship for any rough waters. “We believe with these qualities, Seatrium will be able to journey well into the future.”

Our Singapore DNA spotlights how home-grown companies in Temasek’s portfolio have evolved and expanded on the global stage.

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