UAE-based government renewable energy company, Masdar has signed a deal with Singapore’s Tuas Power, France’s EDF Renewables, and PT Indonesia Power to explore the development of renewable energy within Indonesia for export to Singapore.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) includes the development of solar photovoltaic (PV) facilities with a capacity of as much as 1.2 Gigawatts (GW), and potentially associated storage. Singapore is looking to import as much as 4 GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035, which would constitute 35 percent of its total supply.
Last year the Singapore Energy Market Authority had issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to appoint suppliers to import and sell around 1.2 GW of electricity into the nation.
Masdar entered the Indonesian market in 2020, forming a joint venture with PT PJBI, a subsidiary of Indonesia’s state electricity company, to drive the development of the Cirata Floating Photovoltaic Power Plant, the country’s first floating solar project, and one of the largest in the world.
Masdar announced a financial close on the project last August, and it is expected to begin commercial operation in the fourth quarter of this year.
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi CEO – Masdar
“Masdar is honored to join this consortium, and we will leverage the experience we have developed in some 40 countries across the globe to help this cross-border project come to fruition. We look forward to working with all parties involved and we are fully confident that this ambitious initiative will be a key step toward building a greener and more sustainable future for Indonesia, Singapore and indeed the wider region.”
The current Singapore market leader in the commercial electricity industry, Tuas Power began its production in 1999 and at present has over 17,000 business customers.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jiang Hanbin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tuas Power, stated that “Tuas Power is one of Singapore’s leading energy solutions provider, and we believe in partnering like-minded companies like Masdar, Indonesia Power and EDF Renewables to advance into a new energy landscape. With Tuas Power’s ideal location for power imports and skilled workforce, and our parent company, Huaneng Power International’s expertise in large scale renewable projects, we are confident this will be a worthy investment for all.”
Indonesia Power (IP) is one of PT. PLN (Persero) subsidiary which focuses on power generating, Operation & Maintenance (O&M) services and related services. Currently, it owns 8.155,06 MW of power plant, varied from coal-fired, gas-fired combined cycle, hydropower and geothermal power.
President Director of PT Indonesia Power, Mr. Ahsin Sidqi, remarked that, “IP is an essential partner for the power export in Indonesia and we look forward to developing the renewable energy sector even further thanks to this new strategic agreement. Our knowledge and expertise in the field will hopefully contribute in a fruitful way to global and regional sustainability and we are confident in the skills that all parties bring to the table.”
EDF Renewables is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the French utility EDF Group, specializing in renewable energy production. As an integrated operator, the Group develops and finances the construction of renewable energy facilities, and manages operations and maintenance for its own account and for third parties
Mr. Yalim Ozilhan, Southeast Asia Director of EDF Renewables, stated that, “Our parent company, EDF, will be leading the development of the sub-sea cable project for power export purposes. This project will expand our presence in the region even further, following on from our current activities in Vietnam and Indonesia. Such efforts are crucial if we are to collectively increase renewable energy capacity around the world and we are committed to play our part.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Abdulla Salem Al Dhaheri, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Indonesia and the Asean, remarked that, “The UAE is keen on collaborating with countries in Asia to help them on their energy transitions and to meet climate objectives. Indonesia holds tremendous potential for renewable energy and Masdar is already supporting the development of the nation’s renewable energy sector. We look forward to also being able to support Singapore on its clean energy objectives.”
