Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) granted conditional approvals to Sembcorp Utilities and Southern Solar Alliance to import a total of 900 megawatts (MW) of electricity generated from solar and battery storage systems in Johor, Malaysia, announced today [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
Sembcorp Utilities will import 300 MW, while Southern Solar Alliance, a wholly owned subsidiary of Malaysian developer Ditrolic Energy Holdings, will supply 600 MW [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Both projects are expected to begin commercial operations around 2029 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
The Sembcorp project will be supported by a large floating solar photovoltaic system and battery storage located at the Linggiu Reservoir in Johor. This system includes approximately 2.2 gigawatts peak (GWp) of solar capacity and up to 4.3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery storage [4, 5, 6]. Sembcorp said the project is "designed to meet energy demand in both Singapore and Malaysia," leveraging subsea interconnection infrastructure to support cross-border power flows and enhance regional energy connectivity [4].
The total 900 MW could meet the annual electricity demand of about 1 million four-room HDB households in Singapore [4]. The approvals require both companies to obtain all necessary clearances from relevant jurisdictions, finalize power purchase agreements, secure financing, and meet development milestones before operations commence [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
With this approval, EMA has granted conditional licenses or approvals to 13 electricity import projects with a combined capacity of 9.25 gigawatts from countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Australia [1, 2, 3, 4, 7]. Singapore aims to import around 6 GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035, which will cover about a third of its energy needs [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
The new solar approvals build on strong bilateral energy ties between Singapore and Malaysia. In October 2025, Singapore conditionally approved importing 1 GW of low-carbon hydropower from Sarawak [1, 2, 3, 7]. Singapore Energy Interconnections, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, and SP Group signed a joint development agreement to study a second electricity interconnection between Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia with capacity up to 2 GW, planned to be operational by 2030 [1, 3, 7].
The power sector accounts for about 40% of Singapore’s carbon emissions; importing low-carbon electricity forms a key part of the country’s decarbonization strategy [5, 7]. Sembcorp Singapore’s chief executive Koh Chiap Khiong said the approvals show "strong momentum" for energy cooperation [6].
