Singapore Grants Conditional Approval for 1 GW Renewable Energy Import

Strategic Insights -

Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) has given its conditional approval to a consortium comprising Sembcorp Utilities, a subsidiary of Sembcorp, and Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) to import approximately 1 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy from Sarawak, Malaysia. This project, which will be supported by SP PowerInterconnect as a technical partner, will mark Singapore's first large-scale, round-the-clock renewable power import project. The imported electricity will be transmitted via over 700 kilometers of subsea cables, capable of delivering baseload renewable energy to the country. This development is a significant step towards Singapore's goal of achieving 6 GW of renewable energy imports by 2035 and advancing the region's power grid development.

Key Takeaways:

  • The EMA has granted conditional approval for the import of approximately 1 GW of renewable energy from Sarawak to Singapore.
  • The project will be supported by SP PowerInterconnect as a technical partner and will be the first large-scale, round-the-clock renewable power import project in Singapore.
  • The electricity will be transmitted via over 700 km of subsea cables.
  • The project is expected to commence operations around 2035.
  • The imported electricity will be predominantly sourced from hydropower in Sarawak.
  • Sembcorp Industries' Group Chief Executive Officer highlighted that this project, combined with an earlier Conditional Approval to bring in 1.2 GW of renewable electricity from Vietnam, brings Singapore closer to achieving 2.2 GW of imports.
  • The consortium has signed a preferred supplier agreement with Prysmian, a leader in high-voltage submarine and underground cable systems.
  • Final regulatory approvals and subsea cable installation are still pending.

Statistics:

  • 1 GW of renewable energy will be imported from Sarawak, Malaysia, to Singapore.
  • Over 700 km of subsea cables will be used for the transmission of renewable energy.
  • The project is expected to commence operations around 2035.
  • The imported electricity will be predominantly sourced from hydropower in Sarawak.
  • Singapore aims to achieve 6 GW of renewable energy imports by 2035.
  • The consortium has signed a preferred supplier agreement with Prysmian, a leader in high-voltage submarine and underground cable systems.

Sources:

  • Sembcorp's press release, 17 October 2025
  • Global Data Point, 2022
  • SyndiGate Media Inc. ( )