Singapore is willing to invest to import renewable power
EMA envisions a regional power grid for clean, imported energy.
Singapore wants to import renewables from its neighbours. And it's willing to invest to make this a reality.
The demand for clean, imported energy could usher in a regional power grid, reports the Straits Times today.
All out of renewables
In the era of sustainability, Singapore with its limited land is extremely short on renewables.
But Singapore is willing to make the investments needed to tap renewable energy from its neighbours, says EMA chief executive Puah Kok Keong.
And this could form the backbone of an Asean power grid that could benefit the region by improving interconnectedness and incentivising renewable projects.
To be clear, a regional power grid is just one component. There are other challenges:
- Differing voltages.
- Readiness of overseas grids.
- Regulations of supplying nation need to change.
Clean energy from Southeast Asia
For now, Singapore has already signed agreements to import 5.6GW of clean electricity by 2035 from countries such as:
- Vietnam.
- Indonesia.
- Cambodia.
The power grid in Singapore, designed and built in the 1990s, will need to be replaced and renewed for that to happen.
Given that our electricity bill comprises grid charges and fuel costs, expect tariffs to go up as the former rises - and lots of roadworks to lay the new cables.
And that's excluding any investments in subsea cables to transmit the electricity over.
Other plans afoot
Singapore is currently exploring multiple other options in search of clean energy:
- Geothermal.
- Nuclear power.
- Solar from Australia*.
- Importing ammonia, hydrogen.
Singapore is currently building dual fuel power plants to replacing its older power plants; by 2030, there will be at least 9 hydrogen-compatible power plants here.
*Sun Cable has an audacious plan to export green energy to Singapore via an insanely long 4,200km cable
The next phase of data centres
As I've written before, Singapore's data center growth can expand dramatically if it can import enough renewable energy through undersea cables.
In the meantime, it is pushing ahead to develop itself as an advanced digital hub by tapping into the strengths of its neighbours - making sheer data centre capacity less crucial.
