Singapore’s Sembcorp to import 1.2 GW of renewable energy from Vietnam

Sembcorp, an energy and urban development giant, has received conditional approval from Singaporean authorities to import 1.2 gigawatts of renewable electricity from Vietnam to the island nation.

The firm said Tuesday that the approval was given by Singapore’s Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore Tan See Leng at the Asia Clean Energy Summit. The summit is part of the Singapore International Energy Week 2023 being held October 24-26.

In August, PTSC, the technical arm of state-owned Petrovietnam and also Sembcorp’s Vietnamese partner, received a permit from Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, to carry out wind, marine and geological surveys for the electricity export project.

The permit was granted by Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. It features two locations covering 89,027 hectares and 98,897 hectares off the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

The planned offshore wind farms could begin operations in 2033, pending relevant approvals and barring unforeseen circumstances, a Sembcorp statement said. It said it will cooperate with PTSC in obtaining a conditional license and an import permit from Singapore’s Energy Market Authority as well as an export permit from the Vietnamese government.

The planned renewable energy export project in Vietnam highlights the region’s cross-border efforts to strengthen the ASEAN grid and enhance energy security, the Singaporean giant emphasized.