Singapore grants conditional approval for VMS renewable power import

Singapore grants conditional approval for VMS renewable power import

The Vietnam-Malaysia-Singapore (VMS) renewable electricity initiative has reached a key milestone, with Singapore's Energy Market Authority granting Conditional Approval to Sembcorp Utilities as the designated importer for the proposed project.

Photo: Sembcorp

The Conditional Approval was formally presented during the opening of Singapore International Energy Week 2026 on October 26, providing a basis for the participating consortia to advance the next stages of project development, subject to the necessary regulatory and project approvals.

The VMS initiative aims to import up to 1.3 GW of renewable electricity into Singapore through a regional power corridor linking Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore. It will harness Vietnam's offshore wind resources alongside solar and battery energy storage infrastructure in Malaysia, with imports expected to commence in 2035.

Under the proposed arrangement, renewable electricity generated in Vietnam would be transmitted through Malaysia and supplied to both Malaysia and Singapore, with Malaysia serving as both a recipient and transit country.

The Conditional Approval builds on the Joint Development Agreement signed in May 2025 between the consortium comprising PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation, a member of Vietnam National Industry-Energy Group, and Singapore-based Sembcorp Utilities, and MY Energy Consortium, comprising Malaysia's Tenaga Nasional Berhad and Petronas.

Since the JDA signing, the participating consortia have advanced technical and commercial activities in close collaboration with governments, regulators, and stakeholders across the three countries.

The VMS initiative supports broader efforts to unlock Southeast Asia's renewable energy potential, strengthen cross-border energy connectivity, and contribute to the advancement of the ASEAN Power Grid.

VIR