Singapore is ramping up the purchase of electricity generated in Laos, the first step in the tiny country’s ambitions plan to import renewable energy that it has little space to produce at home.

Xayaburi hydropower project is located in Xayaburi province of Laos. (Photo: xayaburi.com)

Keppel Electric, part of the state-backed conglomerate Keppel and the first recipient of a new government licence for electricity import, started importing hydropower from Laos's Electricite du Laos (EDL) in June. The company will import up to 100 megawatts of electricity during a two-year trial period and is expected to operate on a full commercial scale after that.

Singapore aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but its small size and location make it unsuitable for wind, geothermal and hydroelectric power generation, therefore the country has created a broader energy grid.

Singapore's energy import plans extend as far as Australia. Australia’s Sun Cable aims to build a 12,000-hectare solar farm in the north of the country with plans to export electricity to Singapore via a 4,200 km submarine cable. The total investment for the project is estimated at more than 30 billion AUD (21 billion USD). It is scheduled to be commenced in 2024 and put into operation in 2029.

Source: VNA