ASEAN countries plan cross border trading

Under the agreement signed between Keppel Electric and EDL, EDL will export and Keppel will import up to 100 MW of renewable hydropower from Lao PDR to Singapore via Thailand and Malay­sia, using existing interconnectors under an import trial, Keppel announced on 15 Sep­tember.

The electricity retailer Keppel Electric of Singapore, a subsidiary of Keppel Infrastructure Holdings (KI), has signed an exclusive framework agreement with Elec­tricité du Laos (EDL), the state-owned power supplier of Laos, as part of the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Inte­gration Project (LTMS-PIP) to explore opportunities to import renewable energy into Singapore.

The import of renewable energy from Lao PDR will allow Keppel Electric to diversify its energy portfolio. The trial electricity supply is expected to begin as soon as all technical, commercial, legal and regulatory arrangements have been finalized with the governments of the four ASEAN member countries, and after the execution of a binding power purchase agreement bet­ween Keppel Electric and EDL.

LTMS-PIP is an intergovernmental project to study the feasibility of cross-border power trade from Lao PDR to Singapore. LTMS-PIP will serve as a pathfinder to further advance cross-border trading in ASEAN and complement existing efforts in the ASEAN Power Grid vision by creating opportunities for multilateral electricity trading be­yond neighbouring borders.

In addition, Keppel Electric and EDL will explore collaboration opportunities arising from the demand for renewable energy and the transition towards greener forms of energy. This includes the development and long-term supply of hydropower for the ASEAN region, as well as renewable energy tracking, verification and assurance, which will support the growth of renewable energy in the region.