Malaysia has called for power companies to sign up for a new auction to export renewable power to neighbouring Singapore, as part of plans to expand cross-border electricity trading.
The auction under the Malaysian government’s Energy Exchange Malaysia (Enegem) programme accepts applications from firms that hold power generation, retailer, or wholesaler licenses in Singapore.
The overall capacity offered under the upcoming auction was not disclosed. The Enegem programme is meant to eventually support the trade of up to 300MW of electricity to Singapore using existing infrastructure.
The first Enegem auction for up to 100MW of power was conducted last year, resulting in a 50MW solar and hydropower deal between Malaysian utility Tenaga Nasional and Singapore’s Sembcorp Power in December.
Malaysia and Singapore have been exploring renewable power trade for several years. The Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP), launched in June 2022, connects up to 100MW of renewable power supply from Laos to Singapore, via power cables in Thailand and Malaysia. This project is being upgraded to double the amount of electricity that can be transmitted.
Southeast Asian countries are also working on an ASEAN power grid initiative to trade electricity more widely.