Premium

Concerns raised over Singapore’s power import plan amid uncertainty in Indonesia

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
An operational floating solar plant in Singapore. Image: Sembcorp Industries.

Analysts have flagged concerns over a lack of clarity from Indonesia’s government related to power exports, potentially spelling trouble for project developers looking to transmit renewables generation from the country to neighbouring Singapore.

Singapore announced plans last October to import up to 4GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035 – constituting around 30% of the city-state’s electricity supply – leading to a host of consortiums unveiling ambitions to deploy solar plants in Indonesia as part of the initiative.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

While Indonesia and Singapore signed a memorandum of understanding in January focused on energy cooperation, including the development of solar projects and cross-border electricity interconnection, Indonesia’s investment minister, Bahlil Lahadalia, has since said the country will not export renewables generation.

“We haven’t thought about exporting [renewable energy] yet,” he said in May, with local media reporting earlier this month that he said the country will prohibit the export of clean electricity.

“If you’re asking me whether this is something to be of concern to the developers, I think it is,” said Elrika Hamdi, an energy finance analyst at thinktank the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

“I think it is still being discussed heavily” by developers that have submitted applications to Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA), she added.

Among the companies bidding to export power to Singapore include local developer Sunseap, which is leading a consortium that plans to develop 7GWp of solar PV and 12GWhr of energy storage systems at an Indonesian archipelago.

Another consortium includes developers ib vogt and Quantum Power Asia, which hope to construct a 3.5GW PV plant and 12GWh of energy storage in Indonesia that will export electricity to Singapore via a subsea cable.

Daniel Kurniawan, a solar analyst at thinktank the Institute for Essential Services Reform, said there has been a change in Indonesia compared to last year, when there were announcements related to joint development agreements with Singapore.

The current situation “is that the Indonesian government seems to be not giving clear certainty for these developments so that would be a major setback”, he said. “It remains to be seen what the development will be.”

Despite the uncertainty, Singapore’s EMA earlier this month issued its second request for proposals for electricity imports, having received 20 submissions through the first request to supply electricity from sources such as solar, wind, hydro and geothermal power from four countries: Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia and Thailand.

The authority said Singapore remains on track to meet its 4GW import target by 2035. 

Read Next

October 6, 2025
Rajasthan government will develop 500MW/2,000MWh of standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) with a four-hour single-cycle configuration and extended operational life.
October 3, 2025
Chinese government policies and supply-side production cuts will drive a significant increase in solar and storage component costs.
September 30, 2025
SynergyRED, a wholly owned subsidiary of Synergy, has submitted a development application for a 2GW hybrid renewable energy project in Western Australia's Mid-West Region.
September 29, 2025
Burns & McDonnell examines the outlook of the utility-scale solar sector amidst the latest policy and tariff changes.
September 29, 2025
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has launched a new request for proposals (RfP) seeking new renewable energy capacity.
September 26, 2025
Residential solar and energy storage could meet all the projected demand from US data centres over the next five years if tech companies invest in household energy infrastructure.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK