Singapore, Cambodia, and Laos have formed a working group to push cross-border electricity trade, inching closer to the ASEAN Power Grid vision.
On 3 June, the Ministries of Trade and Industry of Singapore, Energy and Mines of Laos, and Mines and Energy of Cambodia shook hands and kicked off the working group, setting up three main goals.
The team will create a comprehensive framework to support the development of cross-border electricity trading projects within ASEAN, starting with collaboration between the three countries.
The group will also streamline regulatory processes and licensing procedures for generating, exporting, and importing electricity. This includes simplifying the application and permitting processes for subsea surveys and the installation of cross-border subsea power cables.
Finally, the members will explore ways to facilitate commercial agreements and promote the development of generation and transmission infrastructure, ensuring smooth cross-border electricity trading among the three nations.
The inaugural meeting of the working group was co-chaired by Singapore’s Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng, Laos’ Vice-Minister for Energy and Mines Chansaveng Boungnong, and Cambodia’s Minister for Mines and Energy Keo Rottanak.
During the gathering, Vice-Minister Chansaveng highlighted the project’s importance for Laos, emphasizing its role in achieving the ASEAN Power Grid and leveraging the country’s green energy resources to meet regional clean energy goals. He expressed hope that the project would attract further investment in renewable energy in both Laos and the region.
Tan also expressed optimism about the collaboration, highlighting that the working group aims to create a framework for cross-border electricity trade and address subsea power cable issues in ASEAN. He further encouraged other regional partners to join the initiative.
Minister Rottanak from Cambodia echoed this enthusiasm, noting that their efforts to advance the ASEAN Power Grid and share clean energy efficiently set a strong example. He hoped the partnership would inspire other ASEAN nations to join in building a sustainable and interconnected energy network.
