On October 24, Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) announced a provisional approval for planned imports of 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of power by 2033, mainly from Vietnamese wind energy sources.
This latest approval is contingent on proving that energy import projects are technically and commercially feasible. Previously, similar agreements were signed to import 2 GW of unpolluted electricity from Indonesia and 1 GW from Cambodia, consisting of a mix of hydro, solar and wind energy sources.
The planned import of electricity from Vietnam involves the cooperation of the Singaporean company Sembcorp Utilities (SCU) and PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC), owned by the Vietnamese government. The project will include the installation of a 1,000 km long undersea power cable connecting the 2 countries. Imports from Vietnam are also expected to fulfill as much as 10 percent of Singapore’s total annual electricity demand.
During the official visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính to Singapore in February 2023, PTSC and SCU signed an investment cooperation agreement to export energy to Singapore from offshore renewable energy sources in Vietnam.
Under the agreement, PTSC and SCU will jointly invest funds in the development of an offshore wind farm in Vietnam with an initial capability of roughly 2.3 GW and can export electricity on to Singapore via an underground high-voltage cable.
Sembcorp explained that the plan is to start operations of an offshore wind farm in Vietnam around 2033, subject to approvals and without unexpected disruptions.
Electricity imports implemented in 2033 are a vital step in achieving the goal of importing 4 GW of renewable energy by 2035 through electricity imports. Additionally, as a part of its efforts to realize net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the Singapore government plans to import 30% of its electricity needs from clean energy sources by 2035, while also introducing a progressive carbon tax plan.
