Regional grids key to Singapore’s energy future

Singapore's path to net-zero by 2050 depends heavily on importing renewable energy from neighboring countries due to severe domestic land constraints. While the Singapore Green Plan 2030 targets 2 GW of solar and 4 GW of imports, analysis suggests these must be significantly scaled up—potentially to 16 GW of imports by 2045—to align with IEA net-zero milestones. Such a transition would reduce per capita power sector emissions by 52-58% by 2035 and decrease reliance on volatile gas prices. The report emphasizes that Singapore's financial capacity allows it to lead regional grid investments, such as the LTMS-PIP and potential links to India and the UAE, to secure its energy future and accelerate Southeast Asia's clean energy transition.

• Singapore's domestic renewable potential is insufficient to meet its energy needs; even if the theoretical solar potential of 8.6 GW is fully realized by 2050, it would only cover 12% of the total power demand for that year.
• To align with the International Energy Agency (IEA) net-zero power sector milestone of 2045, Singapore would need to increase its renewable import capacity to 8.1 GW by 2035 and further to 16 GW by 2045.
• Following the IEA's net-zero milestone could lead to a 52-58% reduction in Singapore's per capita power sector emissions by 2035, dropping from approximately 5 tCO2 in 2022 to 2 tCO2.
• Under the Singapore Green Plan 2030, the share of renewable electricity is expected to reach 40% (32 TWh) by 2035, with domestic solar contributing 6% (5.1 TWh) and imports providing 30% (26 TWh).
• Singapore's electricity demand is projected to grow by an average of 2.8% to 3.2% annually over the next decade, potentially reaching 82 TWh by 2035, driven by economic growth and sectors like data centres.
• Importing solar energy could be more cost-effective than domestic production or current tariffs, with costs as low as 13.5 USD cents/kWh compared to a domestic production cost of 19.4 USD cents/kWh and a tariff of 22.4 USD cents/kWh.
• Regional grid interconnections are essential for energy security, with examples including the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP) and proposed projects involving Australia, Indonesia, and the UAE.

APA

Ember (2024). Regional grids key to Singapore’s energy future. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/regional-grids-key-to-singapores-energy-future

Chicago

Ember. Regional grids key to Singapore’s energy future. 2024. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/regional-grids-key-to-singapores-energy-future.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=Regional grids key to Singapore’s energy future |date=30 April 2024 |url=https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/regional-grids-key-to-singapores-energy-future |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2024regional, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{Regional grids key to Singapore’s energy future}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2024}, month = apr, url = {https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/regional-grids-key-to-singapores-energy-future}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }