The Energy Market Authority (EMA) has granted Conditional Approval to Sembcorp Utilities Pte Ltd, which is working with its consortium partner, Sarawak Energy Berhad, to import 1 gigawatt (GW) of low-carbon electricity from Sarawak, Malaysia to Singapore. This marks a new phase of energy partnership between both nations.

The award was marked by two ceremonies held on 17 October 2025 in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The first ceremony was held in Singapore, witnessed by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Gan Kim Yong and Premier of Sarawak, YAB Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg. The second ceremony was witnessed by YAB Datuk Amar Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation of Malaysia, and Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Dr Tan See Leng on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

EMA has preliminarily assessed the Consortium’s project proposal to be technically and commercially viable in supplying electricity from hydropower in Sarawak to Singapore. For the project to progress, the Consortium will need to secure all requisite approvals from relevant jurisdictions, including countries which the transmission cables will pass through. The Conditional Approval provides the Consortium with regulatory support from EMA to continue to develop the project to meet its proposed commercial operation date, which is expected to be around 2035.

Low-carbon electricity imports form a key part of Singapore’s strategy to decarbonise the power sector, which currently accounts for 40% of our carbon emissions.

EMA will continue to engage all companies with credible and commercially viable import proposals that can contribute to the decarbonisation of the power sector.