Singapore To Import Low-Carbon Electricity From Cambodia

• EMA gives conditional approval to Keppel Energy to supply it 1 GW low-carbon electricity from Cambodia
• Keppel plans to aggregate low-carbon electricity from solar, hydropower and potentially wind, supported by BESS or PSH from Cambodia for Singapore
• Keppel has signed a long-term PPEA with Royal Group Power Company of Cambodia for export to Singapore

Singapore is moving forward on its plans to source 4 GW low-carbon electricity by 2035 after the Energy Market Authority (EMA) gave a conditional approval to Keppel Energy to import 1 GW from Cambodia. EMA also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indonesia on renewable energy cooperation.

"The MOU, together with the Conditional Approval for the import of electricity from Cambodia, mark a significant step forward in regional collaboration to enhance energy security, increase access to reliable, clean energy, as well as stimulate economic growth," stated the EMA.

Conditional approval recognizes Keppel's proposal to be technically and commercially viable. It now enables Keppel Infrastructure Holdings subsidiary Keppel Energy to aggregate low-carbon electricity generated from various sources as solar, hydropower and potentially wind power, from Cambodia. It will be transmitted via subsea cables covering over 1,000 km and onshore overhead high voltage transmission lines.

This renewable energy will be supported by either battery energy storage systems (BESS) or pumped storage hydropower (PSH).

To import this utility scale electricity, Keppel has secured a long-term power purchase and export agreement (PPEA) with Cambodia's Royal Group Power Company (RGP) to supply and export the same. The company sees the imports to begin from post 2030.

EMA said it may grant conditional approval to all request for proposals (RFP) participants whose projects were preliminary assessed as technically and commercially viable. They will however need to conduct further studies and secure regulatory approvals from the source and transit countries before it can issue a full importer license.

The RFP was launched in July 2022 and will be closed in December 2023 (see Singapore Issues RFP2 For 4 GW Clean Energy).

Singapore was looking forward to the world's largest planned solar project of Sun Cable with up to 20 GW capacity to supply it solar power from Australia under the Australia-Asia PowerLink (AAPowerLink) project which would have accounted for the country's 15% electricity supply. However, the company is currently up for sale after its investors couldn't come on the same page for Sun Cable's future strategy (see Bids Invited For Australian Solar & Storage Company Sun Cable).