Illustrative imaage (Photo: AFP) Singapore (VNA) – Wong Kim Yin, CEO of SP Group, a state-ownedpower grid operator of Singapore, has said his group wants to build moreconnections to neighbouring countries to tap their greater potential forrenewable energy.
Nations like Malaysia and Indonesia have large land for solar panels and enoughwind to power turbines.
According to the CEO, building transmission lines to connect the countries andusing renewable energy credits to facilitate power trading can allow Singapore touse clean power even if it can't produce it.
Legislation limits the use of Singapore and Malaysia's existing powerconnections only to emergencies, Wong said. A bilateral government agreementcould immediately allow trading across those lines and start a movement towardwider international connections, he said.
Apart from building more connections to neighbouring countries, Wong underlinedsome measures to promote the use of clean energy such SP Group’s speeding up thetransition to electric vehicles in Singapore by building 1,000 chargingstations by the end of 2020, from about 200 now.
Singapore Minister of Trade & Industry Chan Chun Sing last week includedregional power grids as one of four measures the country will explore to helpdecarbonise its power sector, which is almost entirely reliant on importednatural gas.
Also last week, Malaysia's Energy Minister Yeo Bee Yin said the nation is indiscussions with Singapore about cross-border power supplies, and expects tocomplete 550 megawatts of new grid connection capacity this year and a similaramount next year.
The idea of connecting power plants and customers across Southeast Asia hasbeen pursued for more than 20 years, but stymied by issues including lack of governmentcoordination and infrastructure funding./.
Nations like Malaysia and Indonesia have large land for solar panels and enoughwind to power turbines.
According to the CEO, building transmission lines to connect the countries andusing renewable energy credits to facilitate power trading can allow Singapore touse clean power even if it can't produce it.
Legislation limits the use of Singapore and Malaysia's existing powerconnections only to emergencies, Wong said. A bilateral government agreementcould immediately allow trading across those lines and start a movement towardwider international connections, he said.
Apart from building more connections to neighbouring countries, Wong underlinedsome measures to promote the use of clean energy such SP Group’s speeding up thetransition to electric vehicles in Singapore by building 1,000 chargingstations by the end of 2020, from about 200 now.
Singapore Minister of Trade & Industry Chan Chun Sing last week includedregional power grids as one of four measures the country will explore to helpdecarbonise its power sector, which is almost entirely reliant on importednatural gas.
Also last week, Malaysia's Energy Minister Yeo Bee Yin said the nation is indiscussions with Singapore about cross-border power supplies, and expects tocomplete 550 megawatts of new grid connection capacity this year and a similaramount next year.
The idea of connecting power plants and customers across Southeast Asia hasbeen pursued for more than 20 years, but stymied by issues including lack of governmentcoordination and infrastructure funding./.
VNA
