Update on Regional Power Grid Trials Commenced in 2022
Ministry of Trade and IndustrySpeakers
Summary
This question concerns an update requested by Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis on the regional power grid trials and whether electricity imports from the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP) will exceed 100 megawatts. Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong noted that 270 gigawatt hours were imported as of August 2023, with discussions underway to enhance trading capacity beyond the current 100-megawatt limit. The LTMS-PIP serves as a pathfinder for the ASEAN Power Grid, supporting regional energy security and Singapore’s low-carbon energy goals. The Energy Market Authority has also issued Conditional Approvals for imports totaling three gigawatts from Cambodia and Indonesia to meet the four-gigawatt target by 2035. The government remains committed to awarding further approvals to proposals that meet its requirements for large-scale low-carbon electricity.
Transcript
8 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Government can provide updates on the regional power grid trials which commenced in 2022; (b) whether the Government intends to implement full-fledged plans following the trials; and (c) whether there are plans to draw more electricity from the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore power integration project beyond the current level of 100 megawatts.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: From the commencement of the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP) on 23 June 2022 till the end of August 2023, about 270 gigawatt hours of electricity have been imported to Singapore from Lao PDR. At the Fourth LTMS Ministerial Meeting on 24 August 2023, all four countries agreed to continue trading up to 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity. The countries will also discuss enhancing LTMS-PIP, including trading capacities beyond 100 MW. LTMS-PIP shows that it is feasible and mutually beneficial for countries in our region to collaborate on cross-border electricity trading. The Project will accelerate our collective efforts towards the realisation of the ASEAN Power Grid and serve as a pathfinder towards enhanced interconnectivity, energy security and sustainability in our region.
Beyond LTMS-PIP, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) has an ongoing Request for Proposal (RFP) for importing large-scale low-carbon electricity into Singapore. In March 2023, EMA issued its Conditional Approval (CA) for a proposal to import one gigawatt (GW) of electricity from Cambodia. In September 2023, EMA issued CAs to five projects to import a total of another two GW of low-carbon electricity from Indonesia into Singapore. If the projects are realised, they will bring us closer to our target of importing up to four GWs of low-carbon electricity by 2035. We will continue to award CAs to proposals that meet our requirements.