Up to 25GW of renewable power, energy storage available in ASEAN
Could be accessed through a regional power grid.
Singapore is serious about importing clean electricity from ASEAN. And with up to 25GW potentially, think of the data centres that could support.
An infographic of renewable energy sources in Southeast Asia caught my attention. And got me thinking about renewables for Singapore's data centres.
Wind, water and sun
According to a new report by Rystad Energy, as much as 25GW of renewable power and energy storage could be accessed through a regional power grid.
- Solar.
- Hydropower.
- Offshore wind.
And Singapore could benefit the most from a strong regional grid, it says.
Singapore's plan for renewables
The nation-state has very little access to renewables. From my observation, it has embarked on a multi-pronged strategy.
- Going all-in on solar.
- Preparing for hydrogen.
- Importing clean electricity.
It has gone all-in on solar, putting solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on water, sea, and buildings.
- Rooftops.
- On reservoirs.
- Affixed to walls.
- At near-shore deployment.
- (Studying) Roads, canals, between buildings.
But that won't be enough by far. Even when fully deployed, solar will fulfill just 2-6% of electricity demand in 2030.
Electrification of ASEAN
Singapore needs a lot more renewables to fulfil its sustainability commitments. And a regional grid could make all the difference.
There are challenges aplenty:
- Differing voltages.
- Inconsistent regulations.
- Varying readiness of national grids.
The key though, is that many see limited direct advantage in linking up with another market. This is why EMA last year said that it is prepared to make the required investments to tap renewable energy.
Indeed, Rystad Energy says that even accounting for the cost of interconnection infrastructure might offer a "more cost-effective alternative" to building more gas-turbine power plants in Singapore.
So electricity could be cheaper.
Greater grid stability
Would Singapore be sponging up the renewables in the region? Not at all - as of 2024, renewable energy accounted for 26% of ASEAN’s electricity generation.
Which is also why strong interconnections and sufficient grid-connected storage (energy storage such as batteries), would benefit the region.
As the region further develop its renewables, a region-wide grid would allow greater resilience and stability to be developed. This is something that will benefit all.
