Singapore 1 GW Short Of 4 GW Low-Carbon Goal

• EMA has given conditional approvals to 5 solar projects to import clean electricity from Indonesia  
• These projects will facilitate construction of some 11 GW PV and 21 GWh BESS capacity in Indonesia  
• With 1 GW approval given to 1 GW Keppel Energy in March 2023, the 5 new projects approved add up to 3 GW solar out of 4 GW low-carbon capacity Singapore is targeting to import by 2035 

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) of Singapore has announced conditional approvals for 5 projects that together will bring 2 GW solar power capacity to the country from Indonesia. It says these projects will facilitate the construction of some 11 GW PV and 21 GWh of battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity in the neighboring nation.  

The 5 projects approved include 400 MW capacity to be imported by EDP Renewables APAC, and 300 MW by Keppel Energy. Singapore is now 1 GW short of its 2035 goal to import 4 GW low-carbon electricity since these approvals follow a conditional approval for Keppel Energy's 1 GW Cambodian project in March 2023 (see Singapore To Import Low-Carbon Electricity From Cambodia).  

While conditional approvals mean the EMA finds techno-commercial prospects for these projects under preliminary assessment, the companies will now be required to take their own research forward.  

The companies will be expected to conduct their marine survey on the proposed route for their subsea power cables and support the efforts of original equipment manufacturers (OEM) for the development of their PV and storage manufacturing plants in Indonesia.  

These approvals build on multiple memorandums of understanding (MoU) signed between the 2 Southeast Asian nations recently, including a Low-Carbon Energy and Cross Border Electricity Interconnection signed on September 8, 2023.  

"These MOUs affirm both countries' commitment to facilitate cross-border electricity trading projects and interconnections between Indonesia and Singapore, and investments in the development of renewable energy manufacturing industries, such as solar photovoltaics (PV) and battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Indonesia," stated the EMA.  

Pacific Medco Solar, part of one of the project consortiums approved by the EMA, separately announced that it will supply price-competitive and reliable renewable energy from 600 MW PV capacity from Indonesia's Bulan Island. The Bulan Solar Project will have over 2 GW solar PV and 500 MW storage capacity. It will come online by 2028.    

With Grok Ventures taking over SunCable assets including AAPowerLink in Australia, Singapore can also expect solar energy to come its way via Indonesia from the 20 GW solar and 42 GWh storage project in Darwin (see Mike Cannon-Brookes Takes Over AAPowerLink Project).