SINGAPORE – The construction of undersea power cables to supply electricity from Sarawak to Singapore will start by 2026, said the Malaysia state’s Chief Minister Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Speaking after launching the Sarawak Mega Fair at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre on Oct 16, the Sarawak Premier said the state and Singapore will sign an agreement on the purchase of power on Oct 17.
The Singapore and Malaysia governments have been in talks over transmitting 1GW of energy, mainly in the form of hydropower produced in Sarawak.
Mr Johari said both sides are looking at a 2026 commencement date pending an ongoing shortage of submarine cables, which he is confident could be overcome by the end of 2025.
“Both the Singapore and Sarawak governments, with endorsement from the Malaysian government, (decided) that the cable construction has to start at least by next year,” he said.
On Oct 17, Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) said in a press release that it has granted conditional approval to Sembcorp Utilities, which is working with its consortium partner Sarawak Energy, to import 1GW of low-carbon electricity from Sarawak to Singapore.
“This marks a new phase of energy partnership between both nations,” said the EMA in the release.
The awarding of the conditional approval was marked by two ceremonies held on Oct 17 in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
Mr Johari witnessed the first ceremony in Singapore, along with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong.
The second ceremony was witnessed by Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof, who is also Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, and Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science and Technology Tan See Leng, on the sidelines of the 43rd Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
The EMA said it has preliminarily assessed the 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,” said the EMA.
Low-carbon electricity imports form a key part of Singapore’s strategy to decarbonise the power sector, which currently accounts for 40 per cent of the Republic’s carbon emissions.
Wire agency AFP earlier reported that Sarawak’s three hydropower plants currently produce around 3.5GW – enough to light about two to three million South-east Asian households daily.
A fourth hydropower plant is being planned,
with the state aiming to generate around 10GW by 2030, including from solar and natural gas.
With a population of just around 2.5 million, Sarawak is generating more power than it uses, allowing it to sell the surplus to its neighbours.
With 70 per cent of the 700km submarine cable set to be laid through Indonesian waters, Mr Johari said Jakarta is also keen to tap the scheme.
“Indonesia is quite positive on this, but they are still talking,” he said.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Oct 10 announced a 3,190km undersea communications cable system connecting Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah to close the digital gap between the country’s three territories.
Announced during the tabling of the country’s 2026 budget in Parliament, the project is set to cost RM2 billion (S$614 million).
Mr Johari told The Straits Times that the communications cable system will be separate from the planned one to Singapore.
