Singapore and International Energy Agency Collaborate on Capacity Building to Advance the ASEAN Power Grid Vision
29 May 2025
Media Releases
29 May 2025
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As ASEAN intensifies efforts towards regional power integration and harnessing Southeast Asia’s renewable energy potential, Singapore and the International Energy Agency (IEA) jointly organised the Singapore-IEA Regional Training Programme on Connecting ASEAN: Technical, Regulatory and Financial Pathways for Cross-Border Power Trade. This training programme equipped regional stakeholders with knowledge and tools to advance multilateral power trade and support the development of a more interconnected and resilient regional power grid.
In its ninth edition, the training programme brought together 200 policymakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders from 20 countries to discuss the feasibility and benefits of regional power interconnections. Representatives from the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), as well as energy regulators from Australia and Malaysia and key private sector stakeholders spoke at the event. They shared insights on developing technical frameworks, regulatory policies, financing models and risk-sharing mechanisms to enable cross-border power transmission.
Mr Puah Kok Keong, Chief Executive of the Energy Market Authority (EMA), said: “The ASEAN Power Grid vision is central to the development of a secure, sustainable and resilient energy future for the region. With the establishment of the IEA Regional Cooperation Centre in Singapore, we will work even more closely with the IEA to accelerate efforts to build regional capabilities to advance energy interconnectivity and multilateral power trade. This also builds on the existing work in ASEAN to develop a framework on subsea cable deployment.”
Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the IEA, said: “This annual regional training between the IEA and EMA reflects our shared commitment to advancing secure, sustainable and cost-effective energy systems in Southeast Asia. The IEA’s Regional Cooperation Centre, which we have set up in Singapore, is playing a vital role in supporting countries of Southeast Asia meet their energy objectives, especially around regional integration of power systems and strengthening energy security.”
This training programme is part of the Singapore-IEA Regional Training Hub. Singapore and the IEA will next co-host the Singapore-IEA Forum on 28 October 2025 at the 18th Singapore International Energy Week, held in conjunction with Singapore’s 60th anniversary celebrations.