Vivian Balakrishnan floats idea of Pacific power grid linked to Australia

Unlike Singapore, which uses gas-powered turbines to generate electricity, Dr Balakrishnan noted that Pacific Island countries rely on diesel for electricity generation. This means energy costs in the Pacific are higher than in Singapore, where about 95 per cent of electricity is generated from imported natural gas, according to the Energy Market Authority. 

But unlike Singapore, the “small and dispersed” nature of Pacific Island states also means gas is a less viable solution, he said. As such, an interconnected grid could allow electricity to be generated cost-effectively and shared across a wider area. 

“The other big difference between you and Singapore is that you are ‘BOS’ – big ocean states – and therefore you are not short of sunshine or places to generate renewable energy,” Dr Balakrishnan said.

He described Australia as a renewable energy “superpower” and a potential partner for such a grid.

Dr Balakrishnan also brought up how recent disruptions to global energy supplies are a reminder that the energy transition is not only about climate change, but about energy security, economic resilience, and giving small states “strategic autonomy” and “greater control over their future”.

“This is a collective existential challenge for all of us,” he said, adding that the technology needed for the transition already largely exists and the challenge lies in “getting the economics and politics right”.