Singapore - S'pore to look at how to import electricity

In a bid to diversify its energy sources, the Government will be looking at how it can import electricity into Singapore from other countries, said Mr S. Iswaran, Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry, yesterday.

He added that countries that import electricity could benefit from gaining a competitive source of electricity supply and getting access to new energy options which are not available previously.

"These, in turn, could enhance national energy security by broadening the energy mix, both in terms of geographical source as well as fuel type," he said.

Mr Iswaran said "electricity imports will further spur competition to the benefit of households, industries and businesses".

This could lead to prices being made affordable for everyone.

In a speech delivered at the opening of the annual Singapore International Energy Week held at the Suntec Convention Centre, he said that the Energy Market Authority will conduct, by year's end, a public exercise to get feedback on the legal framework to govern electricity imports.

He added that the Government aims to gather views from industry players and other stakeholders on "how such imports can be integrated into our market so as to benefit our consumers".

He explained that Singapore faces "considerable challenges" in securing reliable and competitively priced energy supplies to sustain its growth.

So, as part of the Government's effort to continue diversifying the country's energy mix, it is "seriously considering importing electricity as a medium-term option", he said.

Last year, an Economic Strategies Committee report mooted the idea of importing electricity for Singapore.

The report recommended that one way for the country to meet its energy needs was to tap the region's renewable energy, including geothermal power from Indonesia or hydroelectric power from the Mekong region.

Currently, Singapore generates its own power, of which 80 per cent comes from natural gas from abroad.

The rest is made up of other sources, such as fuel oil, diesel and waste incineration.

Mr Iswaran, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, said that one current initiative to broaden the country's energy sources is to bring in liquefied natural gas (LNG). To facilitate this, an LNG terminal in Jurong Island is expected to begin operations by the second quarter of 2013.

In August, he said at a forum that Singapore may import electricity from neighbouring countries in the future.

Besides electricity imports, he said that the Government will continue to explore other options, like solar energy, to broaden the country's supply.

The Singapore International Energy Week, which is in its fourth year, brings together policymakers, industry leaders and academics to discuss energy issues in a range of conferences, exhibitions and networking events.

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