On October 24, Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) announced provisional approval for the planned import of 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of power by 2033, mostly from Vietnamese wind power sources.
This latest approval is conditional on power import projects having proven technical and commercial viability. Previously, similar deals were signed to import 2 GW of clean 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 Viet Nam involves a collaboration between Singapore's Sembcorp Utilities (SCU) and PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC), which is owned by the Vietnamese government. The project will involve the installation of a 1,000-kilometer undersea power cable connecting the two countries. imports from Viet Nam are also expected to contribute up to 10 percent of Singapore's total annual electricity needs.
During Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính's official visit to Singapore in February 2023, PTSC and SCU signed an investment cooperation agreement for energy exports to Singapore from offshore renewable energy sources in Viet Nam.
Under the agreement, PTSC and SCU will work together to invest funds in the construction of an offshore wind farm in Viet Nam with an initial capacity of approximately 2.3 GW, and will export electricity directly to Singapore via a high-voltage underground cable.
Sembcorp explained that the plan is for the offshore wind farm in Viet Nam to commence operations around 2033, subject to approvals and without any unforeseen disruptions.
The import of electricity to be carried out in 2033 is an important step in achieving the target of importing 4 GW of renewable energy by 2035 through electricity imports. In addition, as part of its efforts to achieve zero net carbon emissions by 2050, the Singapore Government plans to import 30% of its electricity needs from clean energy sources by 2035, while introducing a progressive carbon tax plan.
